My Life and My Body
by Adazula
Summary: "Most people think I'm weird with my baggy clothes and awkward behavior. My Dad wants me to dress more like a girl. My teachers want me to hide less. My classmates want nothing to do with me. Everyone assumes that I'm going through one heck of a 'phase.' But I know better. I may have been born a girl, but I know that I am a boy inside." A transgender story.
1. Chapter 1

My Life. My Body.

By: Adazula

Story description: Henrietta, aka Hiccup, has always been judged for her baggy clothes and awkward behavior. Most assume that she is a tomboy or even a lesbian. But she's more than just that. She's a boy born in the wrong body. A transgender story.

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Chapter 1: The morning routine.

Hiccup's POV

 _Anybody can have stories about life of how things don't exactly go the way they planned. Like my dad expected to have a happy life with his completely normal family. He never got that. In reality, our family is far from normal. Especially when my mom died. Especially with me._

* * *

I hate mornings. More than anything. Especially on a school day. Those are even worse. Why can't I just be homeschooled, so I don't have to face the world as a loser. Be a lot easier if you asked me.

But according to Dad, I need the social environment in order to make human connections with other people and have easier interactions with potential employers in the future. It guarantees being hired and a better life instead of being shut out from the world.

The alarm clock has been blaring for at least a couple of minutes before I started to hear the expected knock from my door.

" Henrietta! Get up! You best be downstairs before you don't have time for breakfast!" My father shouted. Gods I hate that name so much. Henrietta. But it beats being called Hiccup, which is what I get from school by everyone.

I groaned as I roll myself out of my comfortable twin bed. My room isn't that big but it's tidy. My desk though is covered with a mess of art supplies and school books. I really have been practically studying and losing a lot of sleep lately. But try balancing art with many AP classes. It's not fun. Not at all.

I go over to the dresser that is shoved into my closet and open it to find some clothes to wear for the day. They are not neatly folded. I have never been the cleaning type in my life. I quickly pull out from a drawer a baggy dark green t-shirt and jeans that are clean, but wrinkled. I quickly throw them on and pull my favorite dark green hoodie over them along with my black beanie and glasses.

I look in the mirror and instantly note my long brown hair hanging limply from the beanie that is over it. I always hated it. The length. The maintenance. I want to so badly to chop it off. But my dad won't let me. He says I look just like my mom and I should keep it that way. Just because I inherited my mom's features doesn't mean I should have to look like a clone of her.

I grab my beat up sneakers and my backpack from the desk chair before making my way down the stairs to the kitchen where my father, Stoick, is sitting reading from the newspaper. Most likely the sports section of course.

Now my dad is a huge man. I'm not saying he is fat, but very muscular. He was once an Gold medal Olympic champion in the weightlifting competition before meeting my mom and settled down as a trainer for potential Olympic athletes. My cousin Simon, aka Snotlout, is in the class and likes to brag about it.

" About time you got up." My dad said to me before looking up from his newspaper and frowns at me. " Is that what you're wearing?"

" Well. I'm working with clay today in art class and I don't want to get my good clothes ruined." I lied to him immediately. The truth is that I feel most comfortable in these clothes. I don't like to wear skirts or anything that is too form fitting.

He seems to take the bait and says, " Well I'm going to be working late tonight, so you'll have to cook dinner tonight. Ok?"

" Fine." I said as I made myself a bowl of cereal and sat down at the table. But I not that hungry. Especially with what I have to say to him right now.

" Ummm...Dad?" I asked cautiously but he seems occupied with the newspaper. I stir my cereal around. But I know he's somewhat listening. " I need to ask something from you. Something big."

" What is it?" He asked nonchalantly. Ok here it goes. Big moment here. He is so going to kill me.

" I need about $700 a month." I finally said very quickly as possible and to the point. Immediately my dad drops his newspaper and looks at me in shock and outrage.

" $700 a month!" He bellows. " For what!?"

" Do you really want to know?" I asked with my eyebrows raised.

" Well I would like to know what insanity I am paying for here!" He said.

" Birth control pills." I answered.

" Birth control pills!" He shouted. " I will not give my only daughter a reason to lose her virginity!"

" It's not for that. It's for the monthly visits." I rolled my eyes and smirk at him. Dad still looks at me with suspicion. I continued, " Don't believe me. Ask the school nurse, Gothi. She will be more than happy to explain it all in _through detail_."

My dad gets that dazed wide eye look in his eyes. Knowing my dad. Once you bring up the whole thing of female reproductive system, he will do anything to avoid the conversation. And I mean anything.

" Alright. Alright. " He groans. " I give you the money for the pills. Just please wait at least until you're eighteen for the you know what. I don't want to hear the possibility of me being a grandfather anytime soon."

" Thank you for your cooperation." I smile at him as I quickly finish my breakfast and take the empty bowl over to the sink. It was then I hear the familiar whining coming from the back door in the kitchen.

" Do you really have to leave Toothless outside? He doesn't like it." I asked my dad.

My dad groans as he explains, " Henrietta. I told you. The dog has been skunked and I don't want the smell to track through the house. I promise you that I will take him to the dog wash to get him cleaned up today."

" I know I just know that he prefers to stay with me." I said as I look out the door window to see my dog moaning. Oh. Why did he have to make a chase after the skunk last night?

He's a beautiful black Newfoundland with green eyes. We got him about several years ago as way for me to cope from my mother's sudden death from a plane crash.

" Sorry but the dog stays outside until he's cleaned up." He strictly orders.

I sigh in pity for my dog. I wish that I can ignore dad's strict orders and let him inside. He would be a lot more comfortable in the house. But I admit, I don't want the smell of skunk trailing the house.

" Alright. Let's go. Don't want you to be late for school and for me to be late for my job." My dad gets out of his chair with the newspaper folded under his arm.

" Yeah." I said as I quickly get on my shoes. I grab my backpack and follow dad out to the car so he can take me to school.

The whole car ride is silent of course. We don't really have much interaction that is outside of things that are needed. It has not been easy since mom had died. We just never had a good father and daughter relationship in general.

By the time he pulls up to the school, he said, " Do you want me to pick you up so we can go to the pharmacy for your uhhh...medication?"

" No. I can get them on my way home. Besides you said that you are working late." I told him and he nodded.

" Here." He said giving me the check for the pharmacy.

" Thanks." I nodded before getting out of the car.

" Have a good day." I heard him before he pulls out of the school parking lot to leave me to fend for myself.

I quickly folded and stowed the check in my shoe before going towards the school to have another day of avoiding trouble and attention from anyone in my grade. I learned from previous experience to keep your money on you but not in your pockets. Especially from people who want to torment you.

That check in my shoe might just give me the life I need. It wasn't for birth control pills. It was for hormone blockers.

No one can ever understand what I'm going through. Especially my dad. Because I'm not just some troubled teenaged girl who is going through some things with puberty or embarrassment. I'm a boy on the inside who has to keep this secret from everyone at all costs.

* * *

 **This is another fanfic that I want to start up as soon as my series of stories are done and over with. I became inspired to write this after I started my Steven Universe fanfic: On Instinct. After starting a story about a MTF transgender, I wanted to do a FTM transgender story. This story has a major difference and that is that I am using the main character and this a transition story. The other story takes place after transition.**

 **I won't be overdoing some of the bullying, but it will have some moments. I have read fanfics that have taken bullying over the edge for no apparent reason. I want to keep this a little more realistic.**

 **Please tell me what you think and whether I should continue with this.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:Trying to hide.

Hiccup's POV

Berk Public High School is known for many things. But decency to students like me from the popular kids, is not one of them.

It's a sport in it of itself to avoid becoming a victim of it. I try not to draw attention to myself out of not becoming the next punching bag and verbal harassment from the popular kids. Especially by the name of Dagny Osvin.

Dagny's father, Oswald Osvin, is the mayor of this town. He's a great man really. My father and him are actually really good friends and we would see him at barbaques my dad would throw. He would go out of his way to make sure that the town is safe and in a comfortable environment. His daughter, however, is a different story.

Dagny is terrible. She's mean and insane. Worst of all, she gets anything she wants and gets away with everything. But for some reason, she is top of the food chain. I think it's because of her daddy's influence that she is well liked by the students in the school and has her own little posse of friends that march around with her in the school like they own the place.

I push through the crowded hallway to get to my locker. I just opened my locker to get my books when I hear a voice creep up behind me. Her voice.

" Well. What do we have here?" I hear the snake like voice slither around me. " It's the school hic-cup!"

" Hello Dagny." I groaned as I turn around to see her. She dresses like one of those rich mean girls too. Red hair that was stylized by some professional. Brand name clothes along with expensive makeup. She looks perfect as usual.

" See that you're still dressing like a groundhog little hiccup." She snorts as she continues to mock me. " What's the matter? Can't get yourself a boyfriend?"

Her posse snickers in response.

" I'm not interested in boys." I rolled my eyes as I turn my attention back to getting the books from my locker. I just want nothing more than to get to class and avoiding her.

" Right. You're a lesbian. As if that's much better." She laughs.

" What do want Dagny?" I asked the snake. She's not here unless she wants something out of me.

" I need some help with my homework. An Essay for english. I need you to do it for me." She tells me.

" What's the price?" I groan as I turn around with my books in hand. She probably is going to threaten me with something.

" Your reputation." She said it as though it was a threat. I roll my eyes. As though I didn't see it coming.

I weigh the whole thing in my head and said this," Look Dagny, I am not going to stoop down to help you cheat." I scoff. "Besides as if my reputation matters to anyone in this school. I am practically a loser and can't sink that much lower. But it's your reputation that will suffer if the teachers found out that you were trying to cheat."

She glares at me with those icy blues eyes. She slams the books out of my hands before she jerks her head and marches away with her posse in toe.I squat down to get my books as I groan at this. I have to say not bad. Though probably I should have kept my mouth shut.

I hear another voice above me, " Not bad for someone who doesn't stand up for herself that often." It was a beautiful voice.

I know that I must've blushed at hearing this. I look up to see my crush looking at me. Her name is Astrid Hofferson.

She is beautiful as Freya. The goddess of love. She has golden blonde hair that is braid over her shoulder in a side braid and sea blue eyes. She usually wears a red shirt with dark blue jeans. She is never without her leather headband that goes around her forehead that she says she had gotten from her grandmother. She's shorter than me, but then again I am one of the tallest girls in the freshman class with me almost being six foot. She is known as the toughest girl in the school. No one ever messes with her.

Dagny at one point tried to recruit her in her posse, but Astrid had the guts to say no. Which made her mad. Ever since then, she has been trying to upstage Astrid or attempt to ruin her to no avail.

I liked her ever since I met her in middle school. It's not easy to get attention from her and believe me I have gotten attention from. But not exactly in a good way.

" Ummmm….y- yeah. Th- Th-Thank y-you." I stuttered out as I swear I blush even more on my freckled face. Why did she have to be so beautiful?

" We should probably go to our class." She said nonchalantly.

" Oh right." I said as we head down to the art room. I keep gazing over at Astrid ahead of me. I know for sure that she would be more into real guys, so she would want nothing to do with a freak like me. Even if I did tell her that I was 'male.'

When we got into the art class, the bell starts ringing for everyone to be in our seats for the teacher to come in. His name is Mr. Kieser.

He's a tall guy with dirty blonde hair that is chin length and very mess that doesn't make up for the full beard he has. He normally wears loose button down shirts and old jeans that has a ton of paint splattered all over them.

He's a good teacher that sees art in everything. Even in things that break upon accident, he will bring it and piece it together in a way that makes it look like it was done on purpose. Some people find him weird in general. I find him smart and resourceful.

" Good morning class." He comes into the room. " Today we will be doing something interesting. We are going to be doing drawing portraits today of ourselves."

Everyone except me groans in response.

" But with a twist. I am not going to have you do a portrait of your literal selves. I want you to do possible selves. Like drawing yourself as something you are not, but you would be." He said.

The whole class turns their heads on their sides in response. Even I'm confused about this assignment.

He looks at Astrid and points to her, " You my dear. What would you be if you were not you?"

Astrid asked out of curiosity, " Like an animal?"

" Exactly! What animal would you be?" He asked.

" Ummmm…. a bird. I guess." She said. I could imagine her as a beautiful robin.

He smiles and nods, " A bird. Now that is good possible self. Now this assignment doesn't limit to animals. It could be objects. It could be another race of people as yourself and so forth. Don't limit yourself. Just pick one and go with it."

" Could it be anything? Like a dinosaur?" A guy asked. His name is Toby, but people call him Tuffnut. He has a twin who is called Ruffnut.

" Exactly. We have over an hour. It's due at the end. Alright begin." He tells everyone as they got out their pencils and sketchbooks.

I look at the blank page of my sketchbook and try to figure out what could be my possible self. Could I be an animal? An object? Another Race? What can I possibly be?

" Maybe I could be another gender." I thought out of my own curiosity as I start letting my drawing hand do all the work.

I start to see myself more and more as the drawing becomes more completed. It wasn't just an assignment. It was literally seeing what I could be without having to worry what other people think of me. The lean muscular body. No feminine breasts. The short auburn hair. My green eyes more lively.

Time becomes an illusion to me as I delve more into my work. Time just goes by fast. Sometimes too fast. I just wish that I will always have more time.

But of course time does have an ending as I hear my teacher say, " Time's up. Bring your work up to me. Grades will be posted on Friday."

As always I am the last one to hand in my assignment for today. I don't like people looking over my shoulder to see what I drew and raise a word about it. The student before me leaves as I come up and hand in my assignment to Mr. Kieser as quickly as possible.

" Whoa. Take it easy there champ. Where do you think you're going?" He says in amusement as I tried to leave.

" The Library." I said to him. " I have some homework that I need to do and it's my study hall."

" I think you can wait a few minutes." He said before pointing to the door. " Close it."

I sigh as I close the classroom door and come up to him as I slung off my backpack. " What did I do?"

He smiles and shakes his head, " More like what you can do. Your artwork is amazing. Why don't you show this more often in your personality?"

I just shrug my shoulders. Mostly because I don't have that much of a personality.

" Today you did something once again creative as oppose to everyone else. You imagined yourself as a different gender. The way you portrayed yourself as a male is astounding and bold. This is worthing in being in an art show. Which is what I want to talk to you about. We're having the annual art show this year and I want you to feature yourself.

" But that's for the upperclassmen. I'm only a sophomore and fifteen years old. I need to be sixteen in order to participate. " I told him my excuse to get off the hook.

" Actually. About that. I have already talked to the other art teachers and they agree to make you an exception to the rule since you are such an amazing art student." He told me. " You should be very proud Henrietta."

Again with the awful name. I don't like it. I don't want to be out on display for the whole world to see at the art show.

" That's very nice of you to do that for me, but I'm not ready to do something like this yet. So I have to decline." I told him.

" Most of us aren't ready until someone pushes them. Which is why I am requiring you to participate as part of your grade." He told me.

What?! As part of my grade!

" Are you kidding me?" I said in outrage. "Please tell me he's joking." I hoped.

" No. One day you'll look back on it as a good thing Henrietta. You just have to give things a chance."

I say nothing as I storm out of the classroom feeling so pissed off. He had to go behind my back and do this to me! Looks like my plan of not attracting any attention to myself is not going as well as I thought.

* * *

 **Well this a longer chapter. I hope to keep it consistently this long for the chapters in the future. But there is reason why I had ended that way in the first chapter.**

 **I added a bit more of the characters in it. Along with the fearless Astrid Hofferson and the horrible Dagur the deranged as Dagny. I basically re-imagined her as one of those bitches from Mean Girls. She is going to be more involved with the story in the future. This will be Hiccstrid story for sure.**

 **I won't be updating as much until I finish my AU No Son Of Mine. I don't want anymore cancelled or stories up for adoption in the future.**

 **Please review and see you later**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Gym is not my thing.

Hiccup's POV

It has been a long day and I want nothing more than to go the pharmacy and then straight back home. Unfortunately I still have to go to my last class for the day. The worst of them all: Gym. Gym and me don't mix. Tell it to everyone that ever saw me be active. I tend to trip and stumble all over the place. Which is ironic. Being the daughter of an olympic trainer that is.

The worst part isn't the class itself, but changing in the locker room. I have never been comfortable in being in a locker room full of half naked women. Let alone changing in front of them. Even though I'm a girl too by biology.

As fate would have it, I have Dagny and Astrid during that class period for gym. Which means they are both in the locker room changing. I do my best everyday to avoid them. Astrid I would avoid because I didn't want to be rude to her by gawking at her body. Dagny I would avoid just so she won't taunt me.

The assistant gym teacher is a thin woman by the name of Genya. She has a russian accent and has a very loud voice. Her job is primarily to check on us in case we slow up or try to stall. She will bark out whenever she sees us taking too long in the place.

" Let's go ladies! We have ten minutes to change and get out to the gym!" I hear barking as I come in to the place. A high school women's locker room doesn't stink in the way you would think of a typical locker room. It stinks of too much perfume that a lot of the girls would put on before and after gym class. Whoever invented the concept of perfume should have known about the consequences.

Because I don't like to undress in front of other girls, I tend to change in a bathroom stall that is connected to the locker room where it is much more private. All I have to do is get my gym clothes from my gym locker. Go into the stall and change. Get out and toss my regular clothes back into the locker. Then head out to gym.

Easier said than done.

I twist the combination and open the locker to get my clothes. When I turn around I see Dagny smirking at me.

" Going to change in the stall again aren't you?" She scoffed.

" Yes." I grumbled.

" What's the matter? Got a skin disease you don't want people to see. Embarrassed of people seeing your lack of curves" She laughs along with her posse. Which unfortunately are in the locker room too.

" No. I just don't like changing in front of people. That's all." I said. I don't like people looking at my body.

" Probably embarrassed that you will never have breast like mine. Right little miss. A-cup or No cup." She taunts me.

" Just leave her alone." I hear the beautiful voice. I turn to see Astrid pull on her blue gym shirt over her purple sports bra. Oh gods! I should be looking at this but I am. Astrid continued. " You got no business with her, so mind your own."

Dagny lets out a "Humph!" and marches away to the gym with her friends. I don't say anything to Astrid as I seized the chance to go straight to the bathroom stall and change into my clothes.

I maneuver around in the tiny stall to pull off my black shirt to reveal binders on my chest instead of a bra. They work double duty for me as a sports bra and a way for me to keep my chest as flat as possible. Which luckily they are small to begin with due to inheriting my mother's late blooming.

My gym clothes are very plain. Just a grey t-shirt and black yoga pants. I tend to wear my green hoodie over them along with my beanie. So I don't really look that much different during gym than outside of it.

" Hurry up! I don't have all day!" I hear Genya called to the girls. This is usually her final call.

I rush out of the stall and toss my regular clothes back into my gym locker before running out to the main gym where everyone else is meeting.

By the looks of how the space is set up. It appears that we're going to be playing Volleyball. As if I can even serve the ball over the net. Luckily Dagny is not in my gym class since she is a junior. So I don't have to get humiliated by her and her posse.

The gym teacher limps over to us. His name is Gobber. He's actually my dad's best friend and I known him ever since I was very little. He would be easier on me since he's considered family. He's a great person with his over exaggerated stories from when he served in the military and loss his right foot and left arm. However to everyone else, he can be unorthodox and seem a bit crazy. I think I'm the only teen that understands him.

" Alright you lot. We're playing Volleyball today. Astrid and Snotlout will be picking the teams." He stated.

" I wish I wasn't a captain. Because Astrid would have pick me." I overhear my cousin say. He has too much confidence in himself than he really should. He confidence is compensated for lack of brain he has. But in a way he's right. Astrid would most likely pick a strong person for her team.

" Tuffnut." I hear Snotlout say and I hold back a laugh. Those two are dumber than rocks. They don't have a brain between the two of them.

" Fishlegs." I hear Astrid say as Fishlegs meekly goes over to her side.

Fishlegs' real name is Fredreick. He's a nice person and is actually the closest person I have to a friend that is my age. Despite us not talking to each other much of late. He earned the name after he had tipped over a classroom fish tank last year and one of the fish had somehow ended up in his shoe. He was jumping around and screaming while other people we're laughing. I on the other hand was the only one who had tried to calm him down to no avail. Eventually a teacher got the fish out of his shoe. The incident in turn had him the name: Fishlegs.

I hear Snotlout pick another one of his friends before it became Astrid's turn to pick. I was shocked of what she had said.

" Hiccup." She stated and there was a sudden wave of silence as everyone turns their attention towards me.

I blush as I go over to her side and stand by Fishlegs. I thought I was going to be the last choice. I'm always the last pick. No one in their right mind would pick me. But Astrid had picked me. Even some people were in shock of this and was whispering furiously about it.

Snotlout smirked as he said, " Your loss." before calling out another of his friends.

Once the teams were assembled and we went to our sides of the volleyball net. Gobber tosses the ball over Astrid. To which she immediately starts the game.

I mostly try to stay out of the way. If the ball came at me, I would just set it to someone else who was better than me at sending it to the other side. I rather not be the reason we lost a point.

" I wish we would have another study hall than this." Fishlegs said to me.

" Me too." I agreed. Anything than to not change in that perfume smelly locker room with Dagny. " But it's a requirement for school. I guess."

" So the homecoming dance is next friday." He said.

" Yeah. So?" I raised an eyebrow at this. He never talks about Homecoming. He usually doesn't talk about these things. He usually spits out facts about some subject he's reading or complains about gym. This is new.

" Well uhh…." He's trying to say as he looks a bit red in the face.

" What is it?" I asked as I try to concentrate on the ball which looks to be being tossed hard into my direction by Snotlout.

" Iwaswonderingifyouwouldgotothedancewithme!?" He blubbers out quickly. (I was wondering if you would go to the dance with me!?)

I feel like I have been struck by lightning as I lose my attention on the ball and turn to Fishlegs shouting," WHAT!?" Before I was struck hard on the side if my face by the ball and knocked me to the ground. I knew my cousin was strong, but I totally underestimated his strength.

I groan in pain as I lay on the ground and I hear mostly Fishlegs yelp. I open my eyes to see everyone on my team looking at me in concern. Especially Astrid.

" Everyone clear away!" I hear Gobber yell as he came over to me. They make way for him and looks at me, " You ok lass?"

" Fine. My cheek hurts, but I'll live." I groaned as I slowly got on my feet.

" You'll definitely need ice. You have a bruise coming on already." He frowns at looking at my face. " I'll be back in a moment."

" Ok." I groan as I massage my throbbing cheek and watch Gobber limp away to his office. Leaving us to fend for ourselves.

" I am so sorry Hiccup!" I hear Fishlegs saying frantically.

" I'm fine. It wasn't you're fault. I should have paid attention more. You know how I am with sports." I shrugged.

"So Fishlegs had the guts to ask Hiccup." I hear Snotlout mock. He really needs to put a sock in it. " I can see it right now. Hiccup and Fishlegs. The outsiders together sitting under a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g."

" Shut up. Snotlout." I said. Unlike Dagny. I don't care if I talk back to him. He's all mouth and no bite.

Fishlegs meekly asked me, " Um….So do you want to go with me? To the dance."

I wish I hadn't said this, but I did. I just can't bring myself to go with a boy, " I can't Fishlegs. I'm sorry. I just can't." I said sadly as I wrapped my arms around myself and close my eyes in regret. I wish I could be nice to him and be his date. But I know I can't.

He looks down at the floor feeling so humiliated before running out of the main gym.

" Fishlegs!" I shouted to him but it fell on deaf ears. I didn't mean to hurt him this way. He's such a nice guy. I should never have said it to him like that.

" Wow he can't even get you to date him. He must be that pathetic." I heard my cousin snorted in response. He did not just go there.

" Shut up Snotlout." I growled as I turn angrily towards him.

" But you did just turn him down. Hard" He pointed it out with a smirk on his face. " It just proves it. No one will love his fat face other than his mother."

" I'm warning you Snotlout!" I threatened as my anger level rises.

" What's the matter little Hiccup?" He mocked as I march furiously towards him. " Cat got your…..OW!" He screams as I punched him hard in the eye. I didn't know I could be that strong. But it wasn't enough for me. I shoved him to the ground and started kicking him repeatedly in the stomach.

" Stop it! Please! Mommy!" He cried out for the whole world to hear. It was then that someone grabbed me from behind and pull me away from Snotlout. I look up to see Genya. Looking very disapprovingly down at me.

I gulp nervously in response. I am so busted.

* * *

 **Pretty funny though that Snotlout gets the daylights beaten out of by little Hiccup. I thought it would be a funny touch in the story. This is actually what is going to start one of the main aspects in the story. It will be all explained in the next chapter. I promise you that.**

 **One the guests reviewer, Bread, has kindly pointed out that my summary did need an overhaul. I hope the current summary is much better than it was. Tell me otherwise. And don't worry, I have friends who are transgender, so I know what I should be doing for the story.**

 **Please review and see you next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The punishment

" Ow….." Both me and Snotlout groan in pain outside the dean's office.

Gobber was right. I did really bruise up my cheek when Snotlout had launched the ball at me. Already it has started to swell up pretty good and throb even more. Luckily I have ice to kinda make it better. But it wasn't that much.

I look at Snotlout's physical. Unlike me, he has earned himself a black eye that has swollen shut and his abdomen was bruised where I kicked him. Luckily it wasn't serious since I was not that strong enough to put him in the hospital. I kinda have to thank my lucky stars on it.

" You bitch." He groans angrily at me.

" Watch your language. I am your cousin." I glare at him.

" Cousins don't beat each other up." He snaps back.

" Oh. Like you haven't touched me." I rolled my eyes as we hear the door to the dean's office open.

The dean is a very serious man with a hard face and sharply cut salt and pepper hair. People who have been in his office know that he is not a person to be messin with.

" Henrietta. Simon." The dean calls us. We both nod at him and go inside his office with our ice packs still held on our faces.

We both sit down in the chair in front of the desk of the dean." Simon. Simon. Simon." The dean tsks at him. " This is the third time this year that you have been sent here. When will you ever learn."

" Hey this is a completely different situation!" He said and points to me, " She beat me up! My beautiful face is ruin because of her!" He gestures to his swollen eye.

I roll my eyes at this. Here he goes being overdramatic as usual. " I already apologized." I groaned as I adjusted the ice pack.

" You were verbally harassing your classmate, Frederick Ingerman, before she assaulted you. At least that's what your other classmate, Astrid Hofferson, has stated." He said the facts.

" Well I was…..teasing." He said squeamishly. He should better than to mess with the dean.

" Liar." I mumbled.

" Miss. Hofferson says otherwise." The dean said. " You will serving detention for the next two days. You know very well that we have zero tolerance for bullying at this school. Stay out of trouble Mr. Jorgenson. At least you are not being suspended from your olympic training again."

He scoffs at that before pointing to me angrily, " What about her? She ruined my face. She should be expelled!"

" My face isn't that much better Snotlout." I said

" But I was beautiful. You don't know what it's like to be gorgeous like me Hiccup!" He snarls at me as I roll my eyes very annoyingly again. Yeah I don't know what it's like to beautiful. Not like I care.

The dean holds up his hand to silence the both of us, " Simon I will be addressing Henrietta's punishment from here. You best see yourself home before I consider adding more days to your detention."

He grunts as stomps out of the small office. Leaving me to see what my fate is from the dean.

" So what is my punishment?" I look at the dean. He lets out a heavy breath in response.

" Alright after looking at what we are dealing with, we will not be suspending you from school. Since this is your first offense and that Astrid has stated that you were defending Fredrick from being verbally harassed."

" Thank you." I mumbled.

" But. You will be seeking counseling services after school with Ms. Briggs twice a week for at least an hour for the remainder of the semester. She feels that you need this more than you do need detention. Consider yourself getting off easy since you have physically assaulted one of your fellow classmates." He tells me.

" What?" I said taking the now warm ice pack off my cheek. I can't believe he wants me to see some shrink for the remainder of the semester. " I don't want to see a counselor. I'm not crazy."

" Many people go to counselors all the time. You don't have to be considered crazy to see one." He said. " I went to one at one point in my life and it has most certainly helped me through some rough patches."

" Well good for you. But it's not for me." I said stubbornly. " I can handle it. I already apologized to him. I don't need to see a shrink."

" It's either that or you face detention for the rest of the semester young lady." He raises his eyebrows at me. " Which is it going to be? Because one of them will be on your permanent record."

I thought I was going to hate him then. But I really hate him now. But I know what decision I have to go with, " Fine. I'll see the shrink." I groan.

" That's more like it. You're excused." He tells me. " I will be contacting your father and letting him know of the arrangement.

Great. This is my lucky day. I'm forced into an art show by my teacher. I got hit by a volleyball. I got into a fight with Snotlout. I have to see a shrink. Now my father will hear about this and I am so dead. This is so not my day

I wanted to say more against the idea. But I decided at the last minute to take it as is and leave the office. I just want to get out of there and pretend none of it had even happened.

I just walk out of the school when I hear, " Hiccup!"

I turn around to see Astrid. " Oh. hey. Astrid." I mumbled tiredly. I am so tired that I am not even hyped up about seeing my crush in front of me like I'm usually am.

" So how did meeting with the dean do?" She asked me out of concern.

" Oh! ummm… I didn't get off too badly. I have to see a shrink though." I said looking down at my feet. She must think I was pretty pathetic.

" Well. What you did for Fishlegs, that was pretty good of you." She told me.

" You think so?" I almost squeaked as I throw away the melted ice pack. She actually complimented me.

" Yeah. Snotlout really deserved it." She told me.

" I really shouldn't have been too hard on him though. He's all mouth and no bite." I said. He may be mean sometimes, but he's not like Dagny who do anything to hurt someone. She has even gone as far as trying to drown me when I was a kid.

" Tell me about it." Astrid said. " He get's so egotistic of himself all the time. He thinks I have the hots for him. As If!"

" Yeah he keeps putting his foot in his mouth ever since he could talk." Both of us laugh in response. It is true though.

" Poor Fishlegs though." Astrid said.

" I really do feel bad for him. I should never have turned him down like that in front of everyone. He's such a nice guy. " I sadly said.

" He told me that he forgives you. Especially since you stood up for him." She said to me.

" Really?" I asked. I hope she serious.

She nods, " Really." Before she asks, " Why did you turn him down?"

That is really hard to explain. I can't just simply tell her that "Hey! I can't go the dance with Fishlegs because I'm transsexual!" She'll freak and tell everyone. I can't let them know. That is all the more the reason why it has to stay a secret.

I decided on the easiest answer as possible, " I just only see him as a friend. I can't imagine anything else with him. It would be weird to go the dance with my friend. You know?"

" Well people have gone with their friends before, but I guess that's understandable." She nods before I heard a car beep and I see her turn attention towards it. " Oh. That's my ride. See you."

I watched her run toward the card and I see it drive off into the distance.

" She actually talked to me." I said to myself in shock of what just happened. She actually talked to me and I didn't stuttered!

After recovering from it, I take a look at my watch. Shit. it's almost four thirty. I should really get going to the pharmacy before it closes up for the day.

I immediately start walking to the place. The pharmacy is luckily on my way home from school and it shouldn't take too long to get my pills.

After walking for about twenty minutes, I finally reach the small store. I walk into the place and head straight to the back where you would typically go to pick up your prescriptions.

" Hello. Welcome to the Berk Pharmacy. How can I help you?" The pharmacist smiles at me when I walk up to her.

" Hi. I'm here to pick up my prescription. It's under 'Henrietta Haddock.'" I told the lady.

" Oh! I was wondering when you were going to start picking them up again. It has been a while since you were last here." She said. " Wait right here."

I quickly take off my shoe and fish out the folded check. It smells a little of sweat, but the signature is still clear from my dad. Good thing I kept them here in case someone try to demand money out of me and fish through my pockets. Which has happened a lot to me in my life.

I look around the place. I haven't been here since a couple of years ago. Before my mom well…. I don't want to talk about it. I was originally on the blockers for a while, but I had to stop due to the fact that I couldn't pay for them. I had to wait until I was a certain age to ask for money from my dad to pay for them since I had to convince him that it was birth control pills that he was paying for. Not for hormone blockers.

" Henrietta Haddock." The pharmacist called with the prescription in hand at another desk.

I walk over with the check in hand. The pharmacist said noting my bruised cheek, " That looks nasty my dear. You should get a cold compress."

" Thanks. But I'll be fine." I roll my eyes and gave her the check that dad had given me earlier for the hormone blockers. She looks at the check with the cashier machine before it gives me the ok that it has been paid for and I was sent on my way.

Even though I may have lost my temper with Snotlout and it caused me to be landed in counseling services. I at least got something out of and it was getting the thing that will stop me from turning into a woman completely. But unfortunately it can't turn back time to the moment I was born and correct my gender from the start.

* * *

 **Her seeing Ms. Briggs is going to be a major part of the story. We will learn about what has been going on with Hiccup in his past. I will be trying to refer Hiccup as a boy for now on, because it's one of the steps to accepting transgender people is to use the pronouns of the sex they want to be identified as. It just will be a little bit confusing and that I might make some typos, so please be patient with me.**

 **Snotlout is obviously not going to be the enemy in this story. It is obviously Dagny. She will become more the nasty piece of work that she is as this story moves forward. But this story is mainly about acceptance for Hiccup from both himself and other people.**

 **Please review and see you later.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The talk.

The first thing that had happened when I unlock the front door of my house and got in was being rammed hard in the abdomen by something big, black, and very furry. I know from experience as to what that thing was. My dog. Toothless.

" Hey bud." I gasped in pain as I start to scratch behind his ears. His favorite place.

Toothless looks at me with those big eyes of his and wags his tail in excitement. He obviously looks so happy to be back inside the house.

I take a good look at him. He definitely looks and smells better with his fur washed and brushed neatly. That's for sure. Dad must have taken him to the dog wash while he was on his lunch break.

Toothless got himself skunked the night before when I let him loose in the backyard. He mostly had a thing for going after squirrels or even cats whenever they crawl through the backyard. But last night of all things to chase, he had to go after a skunk. I hope that by now he has learned his lesson and won't do this again in the future. But there are no guarantees from that dog.

Once I make sure that his food and water bowls was filled, I head upstairs to my room to get started on my homework for the night.

I don't particularly have a big bedroom, but it is utilized to best of its capabilities. My closet is in the corner next the only window in the room. My twin bed is shoved near the short end of the slanted ceiling. My desk that I use for my homework is shoved between the door and the closet.

For a small room, it is decorated majorly with tons of artwork that are posters of my favorite artists' work. Mostly Van Gogh. Especially his famous Starry Night painting that is displayed over my bed. I would remember my mom showing it to me and I would look at it with awe as she explained the piece to me.

I love Van Gogh. His impressionist style. What the inside of his head must have been. His life story was a tragic one. Only in his thirties when he killed himself. Did he have struggles like me too?

Most people think we are poor by the way I dress and that we have a small house. At least that was a rumor that Dagny had spread. The truth is that we have money. A lot of money. That my dad had earned from having some million dollar contract with an active wear clothing company in his olympian days. So money is not a real issue with us.

The truth is that this was once my mom's childhood home when she grew up here before meeting my dad and moving in with him into some apartment for a while. When my maternal grandparents had died way before I was even an idea, they got this house as part of their will. My mom just didn't want to let go of this place. Especially when she died, so did my dad.

I immediately start on my art projects. Since I have a showcase to prepare for in the next couple of months. I hated the fact that I am forced into this. I don't even have any ideas for my concept to display. What does Mr. Kieser expect me to do? Just suddenly become someone like Van Gogh and make the best art in the world? I can't even be a normal girl that I am suppose to be for everyone else. Nor the normal guy that I want to be.

Sometimes I wished that I wasn't even good at anything. Especially with art. Because with art you have to explain why you chose to make something like this. You're suppose to have confidence in yourself and your work with such ease. That's difficult for me because I have none of that.

Luckily I only had art and some math for homework tonight. It doesn't take that long when I finish it up and proceed to back downstairs to the kitchen to make dinner for me and dad.

As usually, Toothless is standing right next to me as I sizzle the meat and boiling the noodles on the stove for stir fry tonight. He always tries to give me the puppy pouting look, so I would relent and give him some of the meat. Which sometimes, it works.

I can cook. Now by meaning 'I can cook,' That is the fancy term saying that I cook something without turning the food into burnt offerings to the gods. My mother can do that. Sometimes my dad as well, but it only happens when he tries to do something that is complex like baking.

As I finish up making dinner, I hear the door open and close loudly. My stomach had started to sink to the floor if it could. My dad must be home.

" Henrietta. We need to talk." I heard him. He does not sound all that happy. He must have gotten the call from the dean early.

" Let me finish cooking." Was all I could say. I don't like this one bit.

He doesn't say anything. But he has that look of disappointment written all over his face. Looks can speak a lot of words. I know that from past experience.

It doesn't take long before I finish making the dinner and setting the table. We sit on opposite sides of the table looking at each other. Not touching our dinner dishes.

" Henrietta." He started with his brows furrowed.

" Dad." I said numbly.

" I got a call from the dean. It's obvious you know the reason." He said folding his arms.

" For your information, Snotlout deserved it." I said my case.

" Snotlout?" He asked. Oh right he doesn't know much about the nicknames.

" Simon." I corrected.

" You beat him up until he was screaming for his mommy Henrietta. This is serious." He said very upset.

" It's not that big of a deal. Everyone gets into fights. You got into fights more often when you were my age."

" How did you know that?" He asked in shock.

I was hesitant to say the truth, but there was no other explanation. " Mom told me a long time ago." I quietly said.

He lets out a heavy breath. " Oh Henrietta. I didn't want to tell you because I was worried that this would happen. I didn't want to put such ideas into your head."

Yeah. As if that would help much.

" I just want you to act like more like a lady. Like Oswald's daughter. Your mother would never do something like this. Beating up a boy over some small thing."

As if Dagny was a real lady by how crappy she treats the whole world like.

" He was harassing Frederick! I couldn't let him get away with it." I shouted over him.

" Then you tell a teacher." He said sternly and that shut me. I would have argued more, but that look in his eyes are suggesting that I probably should keep my mouth shut. But he's probably right that I may have taken this too far this time.

I let out a breath myself as I move around my dinner. I look at him and said, " Look. What's done is done. Nothing you can do about it."

He massages the sides of his forehead as he said, " At least you didn't get suspended from school nor have this one on your permanent record. I heard you do have to see a social worker though."

" I'm looking forward to it like a toothache." I rolled my eyes.

He looks at me straight in the eye. Now I know this is when he is dead serious on what he wants out of me.

He said these words to me," Alright. Listen to me little lady. You're going to talk to the social worker and be serious about it. Hopefully we won't have any more incidents like this and we can put this whole thing to rest. Deal?"

" This feels very one sided..." I started but he talked over me, " Deal!?"

I let out a breath. There's no winning this one. I look at him and I said quietly, " Deal."

" Alright. Now I have to go on a business trip with the Olympic committee in a couple of days. The trip will be about a couple of weeks. Can you handle yourself and not burn down the house while I'm gone?" He asks me sternly.

" Yeah." I responded.

He doesn't say anything as he leaves the kitchen with his dish. He's probably taking it to his office since he is still kinda frustrated with me.

I wasn't surprised that he said was going on a business trip with the Olympic committee. He always goes on these trips at this point of the year. He would be gone for about a month or less and I would stay here to mind the house in the meantime.

He and I try to get along, but it just never works out. He would always compare me to mom. I would try swallow it down as much as possible. I wish that I could be honest with him. But honesty never works out. Just tolerating it does. We have some sort of a mutual understanding. As long as I try to stay out of trouble and out of the way, he wouldn't raise too much of a stink about my personal choices.

I pick up my partiality empty plate and give the rest in Toothless' dog bowl before I wash the plate in the sink.

As I put the plate in the dish washer, I thought of this. I wonder if he knows that I got into the art show? Most likely not. While he was too busy with being disappointed on how I am not like my mom and with his job, he just never had the room in his life to say the good things from me. If there are any?

* * *

 **Shorter than usual, but it didn't real need that much more to the chapter. Plus I'm back in school so it's going to be hard to update on a normal basis. But I am willing to try to do everything I can to make sure it happens. So please be patient with me. I'm in school while trying to juggle several other fanfics plus planning a sequel for my Big Hero 7 story.**

 **Please review and see you later.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Another day. Another lie.

I wake up still feeling miraculous that I even manage to get a night's sleep after working extensively on my art projects and homework well late into the night. I don't know how high school teachers expect so much from students now these days. This a crime against nature. No student can make it through life with six hours worth of homework along with jobs and/or after school activities. You think they should know how it felt to be in our shoes at one point.

I go over to the bathroom and strip out of my pajamas so I can get myself ready for another day of school before I run of time to make it to school without being late.

I wake myself up even more by taking a nice cold shower. I shiver as the liquid ice just hits me on my skinny body. Cold showers are normal in the Haddock house. Mainly because my dad has neglected to replace the old water heater in the basement. The last time I had a nice hot shower was when I was ten. I remembered my mom complaining about it and my dad promising he would get around to it when he can. He just never go to it.

As soon as I can register that I am clean, I jump out of the shower and wrap myself in a nice warm towel. I then catch a rare glimpse of my body.

My body was _dull._ I'm not fat. I'm actually quite tall and skinny which I really want to change more than anything. But it's not easy with me looking like my mom. I can eat the most fattening of foods and still have trouble gaining weight. Maybe I should go into some weight training. Both healthy and it might finally give me some muscles to see.

Height, I don't really mind. Boys are taller than most girls anyway, so I'm actually kinda glad that I inherited some height. Both my parents are tall, so I'm tall. It's simple genetics.

The worst thing about my body is the parts that I have. I don't like having breasts. I hate them. No matter how small they are, they are still there. Like a scar. The scar that signifies what I am and what I am not.

I quickly go over to the medicine cabinet and get out the cannister of pills. Those pills. My ticket of out this body. I have to remember to thank the guy who made these. They must really care about people like me.

I quickly pop my one pill in my mouth for today and look back in the mirror. Nope. Still feminine. As if they change my body in an instant anyway.

Hormone blockers stop the production of sex hormones. I can't change into a girl anymore. But it can't change me into a boy. I have to wait until I'm eighteen for pill form hormone of Testosterone. Although it would be nice that I have my real body now.

I hear my dad moaning and groaning next door. He must be waking up. I should head back to my room and change.

I head back to my room to change into my clothes today. I was planning to use my default outfit when I stopped and remembered frustratingly the conversation I had with my dad the night before.

" _I just want you to act like more like a lady."_ My father's exact words echo in my mind.

But I don't want to be a lady. I never want to be a lady. Why can't he understand that? Why can't he just simply accept me for who I am instead of giving me a disappointed scowl because I don't act like a girl.

Everytime I try to talk to him. It's more of the fact that he talks over me and end of story. No opinion of mine ever gets out. It's not like I try. Believe me I try to get through to him every single day. Each one a disaster

I sigh at the drawer of clothes in front of me. I really don't want to do this, but I can't make him more angry with me than I already did. I guess I just have to bit my tongue on this one.

I am so going to regret it. No doubt about it. I just know it.

* * *

People were staring at me as I walking around the the school feeling very uncomfortable. I hate it. I really hate it. Why did I make myself do this? Surely I could have made another excuse not to go through with it. Why didn't I make another excuse?! Surely my dad would have understand. Right?

Of all things I had in my closet, I chose to wear the most girly outfit that I have ever own in a long time. I'm surprised that I was able to touch it. Let alone wearing it. I am so going to get stared at for this.

I was wearing a buttoned up dress. A dress! It was loose and made out of denim that had a thin belt in the middle. I never felt so exposed. My freckled legs were bare and cold. My feet weren't much better thanks to wearing a pair of sandals. My brown hair was braided down my back. I look like a farm girl on a ranch!

People were instantly buzzing as I came down the hall. All of them were shocked at seeing what was I wearing I just kept my head down as I try to get to my locker as fast I can.

" No way she actually looks like a chick!" I heard a guy whispered as the rest of them snicker. I know that they are talking about me.

Oh! What was I thinking!? I should have brought my regular clothes with me to change into and now I'm stuck in this awful dress! I need to think these things through!

" Hey!" I heard a familiar voice. I turn around to see Ruffnut. Like me, she's not that much girly. But the difference is that she knows she's a girl and makes it well known. Even if she can be a little gross like her twin.

She usually wears a long grey shirt over her skinny jeans. Her blonde hair is done up in many braids which she usually changes it up everyday.

She and I don't really talk. But she stands her ground as not being the type that would side with someone with Dagny. She believes in breaking the rules of society like getting rid of the whole thing of gender separation on sports teams

" Oh hey Ruffnut." I said.

" What's wrong with you?" She frowns.

" Excuse me?" I raise an eyebrow. Since when she even that concerned about me?

" Why the hell are you wearing a dress?! Do you not want to stand up for women equality!?" She shouted in outrage.

" Ummm…. My dad wanted me to act more like a lady." I said to her.

" Well don't let him get to you! We feminists have to stick together!" She said. She's acting as though we were friends for a long time. Even though we don't really talk to each other on a normal basis.

I then hear the voice of Astrid. Coming to save my butt again.

" Ruffnut come on. Just leave her alone. You're making her more uncomfortable as is." She tells her.

" Well I just don't want lose another girl to the evil Dagny!" Ruffnut points out. Which, I can't believe I'm saying this, I agree with.

A lot of the girls in this high school have been siding with Dagny since she is the richest and most powerful. Hardly anyone does not want to side with her. Apparently she even holds auditions on who becomes a part of her inner circle. Which I wouldn't be surprised that's what she's girls go to extreme lengths just to be like by Dagny. In a way, I kinda feel bad for them.

" Don't worry. I'm still against Dagny. I just had to makeup for making my dad angry with the whole thing that I did yesterday." I said as I open my locker to get my books for today's classes.

" Oh yeah! The whole thing with Snotlout being beat up! Dude. You are now my idol!" Ruffnut smiles wildly.

" Really. Me? Your idol?" I said as I raised an eyebrow. She must be joking. She has to be.

" Yeah. You are the talk of the whole school." Astrid nods.

" Wait. What?" I said in shock. Me? The talk of the whole school?

" We also heard that you're going to be featured at the art showcase this year. That is something that not many sophomore students get to do." Astrid nod.

" Where did you hear that?" I asked her.

" There's a flyer on the student involvement board. Your name is among the list of students that is participating." Astrid said.

I didn't give myself time to lock my locker as I ran to the involvement board to see that if this was true. I almost slip up on my sandals. Curse these awful shoes! When I got there, my heart stop as I saw the flyer.

It said: Want to see Art? Come find it at the Annual Art Showcase. We have talent all over from the student body. Featuring: Eugene Fitzherbert, Temperance Brennan, Ling Yee, Henrietta Haddock….

Henrietta Haddock. My name is on there. The whole world can see it. I just can't seem to avoid drawing attention myself.

I turn around to see Dagny smirking at me.

" Well seems like little Hiccup is going places. As if a dress, a fight, and a place in the showcase will make your life much better." She laughs.

" Well it seems to give me some attention." I said inadvertently. I should have kept my mouth shut. Why do I always open it at the worst times?

She laughs in response. But it was more of a laugh of intimidation.

" Hiccup. Hiccup. Hiccup." She shakes her head with the smirk still planted on her face. " You said so yourself. No one will see nothing more than a loser. This is just your fifteen minutes of fame. Pretty soon they will just forget you even exist. Nor will they care. I hope you remember that. You will wished you haven't messed with me."

She then walks away leaving me alone in a very crowded place. My stomach tightens at this. She's not like those idiot mean girls. She's insane and very smart when she can be. When she plans to hurt someone. She hits them where it really hurts them personally. I have a feeling she is planning something and I am not going to like it.

* * *

 **Well I finished another chapter for the story. I hope you like it.**

 **Also whoever you are please stop sending me mean comments. It makes me feel very awful and makes me consider taking down this story. If you don't like this story, then just don't read it. You're not obligated to.**

 **Please review and see you later.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The counselor.

Gym was once again not very fun.

Luckily though I did not end being sent to the dean's office today, but I still got laughed at when I landed flat on my face when my classmates and I were playing another round of volleyball. Basically I tried to set the ball when my stick like legs got tangled with each other and caused me to fall. This is not the first time it's happened. Nor be the last.

" Alright you lot." Gobber tells us after we ended the game. "That about wraps up our volleyball unit for this class. Now for the next month we will be doing our swimming unit. So bring your bathing suits. "

My heart nearly stopped when I heard about the next sport we are doing. Oh great. Swimming. My favorite sport. Not.

Swimming might mean that we won't be sweating our buts off, but it means wearing a swimsuit in front of everyone. I don't just not like wearing swim suits. I am appalled by the idea. It shows off way too much of my body and they are always fitted. Everytime I go swimming, I might as well be naked in front of everyone. That's how bad it is for me.

Maybe I can throw the " it's my time of the month" excuse, but that only goes so far. The last time I threw this excuse to get out of swimming, My dad had gotten a call from Gobber asking if my body was having any _problems?_ Let's just say my dad was never able to look at me for the next few days.

" You all should know the rules of using the school pool by now. You shower before and after. No cell phones are allowed on in the locker room and pool. Any break in those rules will face disciplinary action. Have I made myself clear?" Gobber looks at us seriously.

" Yes Gobber." We all said before we all head to locker rooms.

I put back on the awful dress in the bathroom stall and leave the locker room. Many people are chatting up about their plans for the weekend. I never really have plans for the weekend. I just simply do my homework and avoid the whole world along with it.

The bell rings at the end of another day of school. A lot people are rushing out as fast as possible to head home to their families and/or friends. My day would just end on me getting home to my dog.

But unfortunately for me, I still have to meet with the shrink today to discuss my _issues._ I would give anything not to show up and go straight home instead. But if I don't go, I will be facing detention instead and my dad will not be happy about that.

" Hey Hiccup." I heard Astrid come up behind me. She looks like she needs to ask me something.

" Oh hey." I mumbled. " I can't talk much. I have to go see the shrink real soon." I said as I pointed the general direction I'm going.

She looked a bit squeamish as she said." Ok. I'll just make it quick. If you're not doing anything this Friday, I was wondering if you can help me with something? It has to do with art class. If it's not too much trouble?"

" Umm….. As long as it's just help. Not making me do the project for you. Then yeah." I blush at this.

" Thank you!" She gasps in relief before checking her watch. " Uh. I got to go to Tennis practice. I can meet at your house after school?

" That's fine." I meekly told her.

" Thank." she says before she runs off as she call out, " You're amazing!"

All I could just do in stand there in shock of what just happened to me. I know she wants only help on her project, but to me I feel like she might be noticing me. But maybe she just sees me nothing more than her assistance.

* * *

I wish I wasn't here. More than anything else in the world.

Sitting in the waiting room is intimidating. Like being a zoo animal out for display for people to look at. This is exactly what it feels like right now. Everybody just walks past me. Some ignore me. Some stare at me. I hate it. What's their problem anyway? It's not like I'm the first person to see a shrink.

After the whole talk with my dad, we never really spoke much since then. Tomorrow he's taking off on his trip to the olympic committee and we just go our separate ways. Not that much different from our current situation.

I tug on my short denim dress over my bare legs. I am repulsed by it. It maybe a fashionable thing that girls wear, but it's not for me. Why of all things am I wearing this monstrosity. Oh that's right. Because my dad told me to look more feminine for school. As if anyone cares about how I look. Though it has earn me a lot of looks as no one has ever seen me without my baggy pants and hoodie.

I gave up in the middle of the day trying to look like a sweet girl and torn my hair out of the braid before swapping back on my beanie. I feel a little more like myself. But not much.

It seemed like forever, but finally a young woman comes out saying, " Henrietta."

I look and nod at her before following her into her office without saying a word.

The office was small but has a calm peaceful look to it. The walls are painted a mellow green. It smells like the forest of a national park. Like it was suppose to be safe. But I don't feel safe. I feel insecure. I get the purpose of it is to get my _issues_ out into the open, but what good does it do? Nothing.

" Choose where you want to sit." She gently tells me.

I pick the nearest arm chair before slinging my heavy backpack off my shoulders and collapsed into the chair without a care in the world.

The woman sits herself in her desk chair and faces me without saying anything as I take her appearance in.

She looks nice. She has straight black hair and was wearing a light pink blouse over her jeans. She looks like she could marry easily without problem. Her name is Ms. Briggs though. It's just fancy for someone who isn't married but doesn't want to say. At least that's what I know.

" So Henrietta. My name is Ms. Briggs and I will be working with you for the remainder of the semester." She tells me nicely.

" Ok." Was all I said. I don't care at all for this.

" So the dean has told me about your little incident with Simon. Would you like to talk about it?" She asks nicely.

" No." I said. There's nothing to talk about.

" Ok." She nods as she shifts in her seat. She may be uncomfortable with me or just with the chair she's sitting in. "So what do you want to talk about?"

" Nothing I just want to go home." I said. I just want to pretend that I haven't been sentenced to this.

" Do you like your home?" She asks.

" I guess." I shrugged. She's obviously just trying to start up some conversation with me. I don't like it but might as well humor her in order to get out of here sooner.

" What's it like?" She asks.

" It's a bungalow. Old. It was once my mother's family home before she and my dad inherited the place. Ok for just me and my dad. But mostly it's me that lives there. My Dad usually has late nights at his job." I said.

" How do you feel about your father having late nights at his job?" She asks the inevitable question that most shrinks ask me.

" Nothing really. It's pretty normal for me. I can take care of myself." I answered honestly. It's not like I have some abandonment issues from him.

" What about your mother?" She asks.

" She died a couple of years ago." I look at her feeling very annoyed that she asked me a question she most likely knows the answer to. I mean she does have my file. She should know and not bother me with this.

" I'm sorry for you loss." She said looking sad at me. Man. I'm tired of hearing those words. I don't like being pitied on. My mom died. There was nothing anyone could have done about it. End of story.

" It's fine. It was an accident. Plane was built poorly. Nothing could have been changed." I said trying to avoid talking about it.

" What happened that day?" She asked. That really crosses a line.

" I don't want to talk about it." I said.

" Henrietta. You are in a safe environment. Anything you say is kept confidential." She tells me. Yeah right. And I am a famous movie star that people bow down to.

" I still don't want to talk about it." I said as I tug on my dress. Gods! I hate that annoying thing.

" You don't like that dress?" She asks me as looks at me fidgeting with my dress.

I glare at her as I said," I tolerate it."

" But you don't enjoy it?" She hints a frown.

" No." I said feeling annoyed.

" How come?"

" I just don't like wearing them. That's all." I said as I close my eyes for a second.

" You seem to have a hatred towards them." She points out. Well she got one thing right. I guess.

" Yeah. If I could rip it off my body, I would do it in an instant."

" Then why did you choose to wear it?"

" My dad wants me to." I told her.

" Why?" She asked. What else does she need to know anyway?

I scoff feeling pissed about it, " Because he says I look like my mom and I should embrace her looks more."

" Did he love your mom?" She asked a stupid question.

" Yeah. We both loved her. It devastated us when she died. But I'm not her." I kinda sigh as I pick at my nails.

" Of course you're not. You're daughter. But you are not her." She points out.

" He just doesn't get that. He misses her so much, he give anything to see her again. Even if it means that he would see her through me." I said feeling kinda sad about it. But mostly still feeling annoyed.

" That must be awful. Not being seen as your own person." She looks at me in concern. Most likely it could be a fake concern just to crack me and exploit me.

But I stood my ground and just shrugged. " Well nothing you can do about it." I know when I'm right. There is nothing anyone can do about it. It's not like I am something that matters to everyone else on my own.

* * *

 **Another Chapter done. Man this chapter reflects off of me.**

 **This chapter reminds me a lot of my childhood struggles. I just didn't know how to communicate with people. I was ignored constantly by my family and was compared to my oldest sibling like I was nothing to them. Soon I became angry and pissed because I felt people would just only be nice to me because they feel bad for me. I honestly thought no one really want anything to do with me. Being hostile was my only defense from getting hurt emotionally. It took me a while and a lot of therapy before I learned to open up and try to talk to people instead of avoiding them.**

 **Please Review and See you later.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: At the mall.

Everytime I come to the local mall, I feel out of place. No matter how hard I try to not seem like it to the many people who come here everyday.

Luckily I feel a bit more comfortable since I have my dog with me and my comfort clothes on. So I don't feel to bit out of place here.

I only came here to get some food for myself at the food court. Luckily my dad left me a credit card for me to use in case I needed something and he didn't want me to bother him about it. I guess that's how much he loves me. I guess.

As I chew on my burger from McDonald's, I observe the many people around. Particularly a teenage boy and his mother having a dispute at a nearby store.

" Oh honey you need to try it on." The mother sighs as she holds up a buttoned up shirt in front of him. But he pushes her away.

" Mom. I can shop for myself thank you very much." The teenager rolls his eyes. " Plus who gives a damn about how I look anyway?"

" That depends if you are satisfied with the person you are." I thought as I took another bite of my burger.

Toothless looks up at me and gives me that look of sadness as he leaned his head up against my leg. I know he knows how unhappy I am with myself. Even though he can't talk.

I scratch behind his ear. " I know bud. But I can handle it." I tell him. But he doesn't look satisfied with the answer I gave him.

" Well at least I have what I need for now." I said to assure him. " I'll be fine." I can't believe I am telling this to a dog.

I finish up my burger before I crumple up the remaining wrapper and stuff it in the paper bag. I throw the whole thing out into the trash bag and was planning to take off for home before my feet stop.

I don't know why. But I just don't want to go home right now. I usually do go home, but not this time. I don't want to do what I usually do this time.

I look up at the store the mom and her teenage son was in. It was a store that has clothes for young men.

" I can't." I tell myself trying to avoid this temptation. I know that I'm a boy at heart. But what if someone sees me? What can I do? I can't simply say that it's for my brother even though I don't even have one!

I look down at Toothless. He was yanking the leash. He yanking on it for me to go into the store. I know he has my best interests at heart, but in a way I wish he doesn't.

" I'll just look. That's it. Just look." I told myself as I head towards the store.

I tie my dog outside before I walk into the store. He's good about staying where he is, so I don't have much trouble with leaving him outside of a place.

I walk in and just see everything I want to be. The photos of young men I wish to be. The clothes that I wish I can wear perfectly. It makes me feel out of place but, at the same time, where I want to be.

I pick up a men's dress shirt. It was a simple long sleeve white shirt. I'm not the fancy type, but I would wear this in a heartbeat over any dress I would ever own.

" How may I help you?" A sudden voice said from behind me and I yelped as I almost trip on my own feet.

I turn around to find a young man in his twenties standing in front of me. He has a nice brown skin complexion and dark closed shaved hair. He has on a name tag that says, " Hi my name is Byron."

" S-Sorry! I was just looking at something for my…..brother!" I said the very lie I did not want to resort to but did anyway.

" Is it for a special occasion?" Byron asks gesturing to the dress shirt in my hands.

" Oh. Um….. yeah. I just need to get him a suit for the…. homecoming dance." I said. It wasn't a flat out lie. I did actually need to get something for the dance since my dad stated that I should go to meet new friends. What he says goes.

" Is there any style that he prefers? Maybe you should bring him here for a fitting." He said.

" My… brother….uhhh.. doesn't like to shop. He... sends me to do it for him….all the time. We're…..twins! Almost identical!" I said as I laugh nervously. I have no idea where these lies are coming from.

" Look if you are shopping here for yourself, don't worry. I have seen many girls come here all the time for some of our merchandise. That doesn't say anything about you." He said very calmly as I blush furiously. I kinda figure that he would see through my lie. It really was a bad lie anyway.

" Yeah…" I sigh tiredly. Still can't believe how embarrassing that was. Shopping for brother that has never existed? Seriously!?

" Well what are you looking for?" He asks me.

" Well.. I do actually need something for homecoming. I just don't want to wear a dress." I tell him truthfully this time. I hope he doesn't look at me weird

But he just nods thoughtfully as he said. " Alright. Let's see what we can do for you."

He actually was very helpful for me. He pulled out a nice brown vest and matching pants and the white dress shirt I was holding in my hands. He said that it should work for me. I try the whole outfit on in the fitting room. I came out to check myself in the mirror. I can't believe at what was I seeing in front of me.

I couldn't help but admire the way I look. I look like that David Tennant time lord from Doctor Who with the whole ensemble. But in a good way. The whole thing looked good on my tall lean frame. It was like it was made for someone like me. I feel right. I feel comfortable with myself.

But one thing that stood out in the wrong way was my hair. It was still there and I still hate it for being the picture. Maybe if I put it up in a ponytail it might look somewhat better.

I just didn't to be seen by someone I knew.

" Hiccup. Is that you?!" I heard someone. Someone that I hope was still in my head. But I turn around to see Astrid and Ruffnut standing there gawking at me!

I could have yelped but I didn't. I was too much in shock. What are they doing here!? They shouldn't be here! This is a men's store!

" Oh! Hey….. guys….." I laugh nervously as I feel like my usual self again. Awkward and Uncomfortable. Think Hiccup. Think. Oh how do I get myself out of this one? How!?

" Dude! I could have sworn you were a guy until I saw your face in the mirror! Why on earth are you wearing a suit?" Ruffnut raises an eyebrow at me.

" Why are you here at men's clothing store?" I asked back.

" Ah. Touche." Ruffnut said putting her hands on her hips. " If you must know. My twin brother needs to get his homecoming suit and sent me to try it on in his place while he is probably rolling in pile of mud somewhere with the family pet pig."

Well. What do you know? She has the same excuse as me and is actually legitimate. Makes sense since she and her brother practically have the same figure. But one thing sounds strange. Since when did they even have a pig?

" Now your turn." Astrid said as she crosses her arms as she raises her own eyebrow. Now I need a really good lie to cover this up.

I finally decided on one that made the most sense. " I…. took your advice Ruffnut." I smiled.

" What? What advice?" Ruffnut asked obliviously.

" About how women should be equal to men. I decided to wear a suit instead of dress to the homecoming dance this year." I said in a fake confident like manner as I tug on the dress shirt sleeve. Hopefully they might just buy it.

" Dude!" Ruffnut shouted in such happiness for the whole world to hear. " I thought you were my idol. But now you are my god! I should have thought of that!"

" Umm...Thank you." I said awkwardly.

" Well. It does create a statement. I give you that." Astrid said.

" I got! All three of us should go in suits! No more dress dominance over women!" Ruffnut suggested and both me and Astrid just chuckle at that.

" Just imagine. If women came in suits and guys came in dresses." I said and that sent them both in laugh at that idea. A disturbing idea.

" Ok now we have to do this!" Ruffnut declared. " I'm going to find a manager and hook us up!" She said as she runs out of the fitting room. Leaving the two of us alone.

I go back into my changing area and change out of suit and back into my baggy clothes.

" I have to go back home." I said to Astrid. " My dog has been outside of the store for quite a bit."

" That Newfoundland is yours?" She asked and I nod in response.

" He's really sweet. Has a couple of missing teeth though and part of a tail." She said.

" He lost them when his previous owner put a gun in his mouth and fired it. The owner also fired at his tail. He's lucky not to be dead." I explained. Astrid's face drops into shock.

" Oh gods how could someone just do something like that?!" She almost yells.

" Terrible people do terrible things to go animals." I said. " I call him Toothless. He's practically my best friend. Always has been there for me."

" I have a dog too. She's a Shiba Inu. Her name's Stormfly. She's also like my best friend." She said.

" That's a beautiful name." I told her honestly. " I have to go. Maybe you can bring your dog over when we need to do the project tomorrow."

" That would be great." Astrid nods at me.

I leave the changing room and go past Ruffnut, who has Byron carrying a lot of suits as he follows her, out of the store. Feeling like I have just jump over some bridges. A lot of bridges.

* * *

 **Toothless' story was inspired by a pitbull who was innocently shot in the mouth just because of it's breed being known to be very dangerous. It was so sad :( My opinion is that it's not the breed that matters. It's the person who trains the dog. I know a pitbull that's name is Sandy and she is a real sweetheart. It just proves that not all pit bulls are horrible dogs.**

 **Also to the people who are sending me mean comments. Stop it. You are not worth my time. If you have a problem with how I decided to do my stories, that's your decision not to read them. I have a right to write them and you have a right to ignore and hate them. But you don't have the right to send outright mean messages just to make people feel bad about themselves for having an imagination they want to share to other people. So don't waste your time by sending another message to me.**

 **Next Chapter is the after school project. It will might have some romantic moments in it. I don't know cause I am in the middle of writing it.**

 **Please Review and see you later.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The art project.

Hiccup's POV

I stir the pot of plain alfredo for dinner tonight. I made enough for two in case Astrid wanted to stay over for dinner as well. Probably not, but it's worth a try.

She's coming over today for the art project she wants help on. I told myself it was that and nothing more. I mean who would want to hang out with someone like me? Huh? Nobody in their right mind. That's what.

Toothless moans as he is chewing on his dry kibbles. He's not happy that I am not cooking something with meat in it tonight.

He always goes crazy whenever I am cooking up something with meat in it and would bother me relentlessly to get his way. Unfortunately I am as stubborn as he is and will not give in when I feel like fight. It's not my fault that he gets gassy from eating too much of it.

I finish up the meal and turn off the gas in the stove in time to hear knocking on the door.

" Just a minute." I called. Oh I hope I don't embarrass myself tonight.

I go over and unlock the door to see Astrid with a beautiful orange Shiba Inu beside her. I figure that it must be her dog, Stormfly.

" Hey I didn't expect you." I said in a friendly tone as I pat the dog's head. She's seems to be happy with my reaction. Or at least satisfied.

" Sorry. My mom wanted me to take her out for a walk." Astrid apologized. " You don't mind if she comes in. Do you?"

" Not at all. Come in. My dog is going to love having a playmate." I said.

Both Astrid and her dog come in. Immediately my own dog takes an interest over Stormfly.

Both me and Astrid kinda laugh as we watch our dogs sniffing each other and overall getting along with each other.

" Seems like she likes him. Believe me that's a good thing. She tends to have her preferences." Astrid explains.

" I wouldn't blame her. I would be picky about my friends too." I said. If I had any to be picky about. " I'm going to put them outside in the backyard. Do you mind?"

" Not at all." She responds as I lead the dogs to the backdoor. They immediately dart out like bullets as I open the door for them.

" So do you want to get started? The sooner we start, the sooner I finish." She suggested as she gets out her sketch pad from her backpack. Both Astrid and I laugh at their eagerness.

" Yeah. Sure. We can go up in my room." I said to her as I point in the general direction. She nods as she follows me. I just hope that I won't make a fool of myself.

But knowing myself and me being with Astrid, I probably will be. That is an almost certain.

* * *

Astrid's POV.

She leads me upstairs to her room. I was thinking that she may have a typical room with posters of bands or hollywood crushes and stuff animals on her bed. But I wasn't planning to see something like this.

Her room was very small, but very magical. That's how I best describe it. Her walls were covered from top to bottom of posters of famous classical art pieces. One of them being the famous Starry Night painting by Van wouldn't know the color of paint on her walls unless she told you. Instead of a main regular light in her room on, she has strings lights that hang from her ceiling that give off a warm feeling like stars in the sky.

" Sorry about the size of my room." She apologizes as she turns on her main light. " I can't really help it but I make it work."

" It's amazing." I said to her in awe.

She blushes in response. I can tell she's not used to attention like this, " Oh. Thank you. I guess. Many people would think the bigger the better. At least that's what Dagny would say. Or Snotlout." She snorts.

" Then again, both of them don't have that too many brain cells." I joked and both of us laugh at that.

" So are you ready to get started?" I asked her.

" Sure. What is it you need help on?" She asks me. Man is this going to be awkward what I want to ask of her.

Okay. I admit it. I don't really need Hiccup's help on my art project. Well I do, but in a different way. I was assigned for my art project to do a portrait of someone and I have always been somewhat intrigued by her. So I decided to draw her portrait.

" I need you to model for me." I said plain and simple.

" Model!?" She squeaks in surprise.

" Yeah. The assignment calls for a portrait of someone of my choice and I decided on you." I explained.

" Me? Why?" She asks out of skepticism.

" Well…. I guess I just wanted to do something different." I said. It wasn't an outright lie, but it wasn't fully the truth either.

There's just something mysterious about her that I have always been drawn to ever since I first saw her in middle school. I guess it's just the fact that she mostly hides or tries to in plain sight. But whatever it is, I'm curious about her and want to get to know her.

" I just never model for someone before." She admits. Neither have I. Guess this will be a first for both of us.

" Just sit at your desk and put your hand under your cheek. I'll draw you like that." I tell her.

She awkwardly goes over to her desk and leans her head against her arm that's resting on the desk.

I start on my sketching of her. I'm no artist like her. I know that for sure. I always tend to make too many erase marks on my sketch pad.

She glances at me and notices me struggling. She says as she stays in the position, " If you hold your pencil as though you're making a fist instead of like the usual way, you'll be able make lighter marks and have more control."

" Don't tell me what to do." I said harshly before regretting it. " Sorry. I just don't like people telling me what I can and cannot do. It's a normal thing in my house. Not easy being the only girl in a house full of boys."

" Don't worry. I get that a lot too when it comes to my dad." She shrugs.

I take her advice and hold the pencil in my fis position. Well what do know? It actually is working out for me. I should listen to her more often when it comes to art related things.

" So do you and your dad get along?" I asked as I sketch her beautiful eyes.

" We're ok. He just gets a little annoying when it comes to me dressing the way I do. He doesn't understand that I'm not the girl that he wants me to be." She shrugs.

I look at her in her clothes. I always tend to forget how tall and skinny she is from how she dresses in baggy clothes. She could easily pass off as one of those models if she actually tried. But she's not exactly the one who would even want to model if she had the choice.

" I can totally understand. My dad always would try to get me to wear things like a dress all the time. He doesn't like the fact that I take after my grandmother." I smirk as I point at my grandmother's headband that I got from her.

" Only you pull off the shieldmaiden look." She chuckles. " I am not the strong type. Though I want to be. I'm thinking of doing some weight training."

" You should. Especially since you are getting some confidence in yourself. Plus the prevention of osteoporosis is a good benefit too. " I told her as I make the final sketch marks on the portrait.

" Yeah." She said as she looks in another direction.

" There." I said. " I'm done."

She gets out of the position she was in and stretches a bit from the strain.

" So how bad do I look?" She jokes but I honestly think that's how she feels about herself.

" You look fine. Hey if you look bad in this drawing it's because of me." I said as I hand her the drawing to look at.

She nods at it. " It's really good. Maybe if work on the shading a bit, you should have a more dimensional drawing."

" Alright. But as long as I don't fail the assignment, I think it's good." I shrug before a thought came to my mind. " You should show me yours."

" Um… I'm not that good…." She said squeamishly. But I know better. She did get herself into the art showcase as a sophomore. That means she has to be good.

" Come on. You can show me one." I egged her on.

" Well…. I guess I can show you one of my sketchbooks…" She says uncomfortably.

She pulls out one of her desk drawers and pulls out a really stuffed sketch book. I don't think mine has ever been this stuffed before. She lays it on top of her desk and backs away for me to look through.

I open the book and upon the first drawing made my portrait look like it was garbage. It was a simple drawing of her dog. But the shady and the line quality made it look like he could jump out of the pages. It was a master piece.

I look drawing after drawing and each of them took my to another world. One was a beautiful girl in a thorn bush as the rose. Another was of the local playground crowded with happy children. Just everything in one sketchbook was nothing short of an amazing trip into different worlds.

" You're talented." Was all I can say. No wonder why she's going to be in the art showcase this year as a featured artist.

" Thanks." She mutters. I can tell she seems a bit uncomfortable with this.

" Um…. can I use your bathroom?" I asked feeling the need to be with myself for a moment.

She shrugs, " Down the hall. To your right."

I nod, " Thanks." Before I head out of her room.

When I get inside and lock the bathroom, I sigh from all of those feelings inside of me. I don't know why but I feel somewhat _attracted_ to her. I know that I am not lesbian but she makes me so comfortable to be around her despite her being somewhat uncomfortable with herself. I can't help but have feelings for her.

When I turn around from the door, I notice something weird. I see a cannister of pills by her sink. She must be on some medication for something. But when I get closer to the sink, I see the letters on the prescription very clearly.

It says on the label, " Hormone Blockers. For Henrietta Haddock."

I raise an eyebrow. Just what is she doing with hormone blockers?

* * *

 **Done with another chapter. I hope you like it. I decided to do Astrid's perspective for this chapter at the last minute. So please don't get mad for changing point of views from the main character after so many chapters.**

 **I should be able to write this more often now that I finish with one of my first priority stories.**

 **Please review and see you all later.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Swimming and showering.

Hiccup's POV

I hate swimming. I absolutely hate it. Why do I have to do this as part of my gym requisite? Why? I didn't asked for this. I didn't asked to participate in this unit.

I shiver as I stand near the pool with all the rest of the girls. All of them are cheery and happy as they compare themselves to each other in their bathing suits. They seem excited over doing this unit. Well not me.

I hate my swimsuit. But at least it's not a bikini. I would be even more naked than I was in my own underwear and I feel like I already am in my clingy swimsuit. My swimsuit is a plain black one piece suit. It's pretty basic and has the most coverage compare to other girls, but I hate how low the back is.

People were shock that I showed up in swimsuit for the unit. Last year, I sat on the sidelines with my monthly flow excuse. I would have done it again, but I don't want to have another argument with my dad. So I have to tough it out.

A girl named Heather comes up to me. She's Dagny's little sister, but she is nowhere near as bad as her. Even if she is a bit superficial.

" Man. You are flat as a board." She says to me. " By the looks of it you don't need to wear a bra under you shirt. Does your family not have boobs or something?"

I glare at her as I wrap my arms around my thin frame. I hate that she has to mention my body like that. I already feel uncomfortable as is in this body.

Gobber comes over with the boys in their swim trunks.

" Alright. Let's get in the pool. Boys on one side. Girls on the other. I don't want another underwater groping incident, so that's how it's going to work." He says. The boys groan.

I scrunch my nose. Just why to the boys is it all about girls and their butts? Can't they ever treat them with simple decency and respect?

I ease myself into the pool. They did not at all heated it. It is cold. Really cold, but I'm used to the cold thanks to the cold showers I have been taking for two years of my life. I look at the rest of my class and see the look on everyone's face. They are shaking and shivering from the temperature.

Astrid stands next to me. " Just how can you tolerate this?" She asked shiveringly.

" I'm just used to the cold." Was all I can say looking down at my hands.

Since today was the first day, Gobber really was just testing everyone on their swim skills to place them in different groups based on the level of swimming they are in. It was an easy day really, but I didn't like to subject myself to swimming in front of people. Especially with boys looking at me in my clingy swimsuit.

Nevertheless it was finally over and Gobber place me in the level of novice for swimming. I wasn't the best, but I wasn't the worst either. I can swim, but I can't compete. Astrid on the other hand was put in a higher level. Makes sense since she is a more active person and is doing lots of sports.

When we were let out, I immediately made straight for the swim locker room showers. If I wasn't required to take a shower before and after swimming, I would ignore the detail. Unfortunately I have to, so I do it but I would wear my swimsuit just so people won't look at my naked body.

It was a public showering area. That's what makes it worse. Being surrounded by other girls is not what I want to be doing. Why can't this school make shower stalls? Don't they know anything about people like me? No.

I let the warm rain drench over my body as I tune out the naked girls around me. I don't like looking at them because I feel so wrong with doing so. I feel so uncomfortable in this environment, but the faster I shower the faster I can get out of here.

I hear a couple of girls next to me talking obviously about me.

" She's so weird." One girl had said.

" Yeah." Another had said.

" Yeah. What a freak. She doesn't change with us and she showers in her swimsuit. Guess Dagny's right. She might have a skin disease. " One snickered.

"Now that's a girl with self conscious issues." Another joined in.

I wrap my arms around my thin frame. This was another reason I hate gym. It seems my body is opened up for conversation. People talk about how thin I am. I hate it. I didn't ask to be like this. I didn't ask to me.

I twist the knob on the shower to shut it off. I wrap my towel around my already covered body as I slowly walk silently out of the public showering area. I look over to the girls and see them turn away snickering.

I come out of the locker room in my clothes feeling more exposed than I have ever been subjected to in a long time and it was only the first day. The first day out of three weeks.

I want nothing more than to go home, but again I have counseling services that I have to go to. Oh great another session with her.

Ms. Briggs just can't stop sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. I don't like talking about my life. I don't. I'm just here as a sentence. Not by choice. She just doesn't get that.

I walk over to her office and knock on the door at the time of my appointment.

" Come in." She said.

I walk in and sit back in the interrogation chair. Ready for her to give it all she gots.

" Hello Henrietta." She smiles.

I don't say anything. I am not in the mood to talk to her.

" You seem a bit unhappy. Do you want to talk about it?" She asks.

" No." I grumbled. I really don't.

" Ok." She says.

We spent a few minutes looking at each other. I don't want to talk about my problems and she can't make me. It's as simple as that.

" I heard that you are in the art showcase. It must be great." She smiles.

" I hate it." I responded.

" Why?" She asks.

" I just do." I stubbornly.

" You can't just simply hate without a reason."

" Well if you must know. My art teacher made me participate. Said it was a part of my grade."

" That must have made you mad." She notes

" Tell me about it." I groaned.

" I would be mad too if I was required to do something. Especially if it was something I hate. Like my mom made me play the clarinet even though I hate it so much that I chucked it out the window."

I raised an eyebrow. " Seriously? You did that?" I asked.

" Yep. Made my mom furious." She smiles. " But she eventually forgave me and finally understood that it wasn't for me."

" Wish my teacher would be that understanding. But it's not like I hate art. In fact I like it. A lot. I just didn't like the fact he went behind my back was all."

" Maybe he wanted you to go outside of your comfort zone?" She said.

" I like my comfort zone." I said stubbornly.

" What is your comfort zone?" She asks.

" Not getting noticed. Overlooked. Just ignored. I like it that way." I sigh.

" Why do you like people not seeing you?" She asked me.

" It's what makes me comfortable." I shrugged. " It's all I've ever known."

" So no one's really noticed you until now and that's what makes you mad. Being suddenly noticed." She said. " That is really sad Henrietta."

" It's fine." I groan. She thinks I can be sad over something like this. "Nothing I don't cry about. I'm used to it."

" But everyone deserves to be noticed. Otherwise It would sad just to live a life like that."

" You don't know that." I frown. " You don't know my life."

" But I want to know." She said. " You can talk about it here. "

" I'm not spilling anything to you." I said. She can't just simply judge my life by what she hears. She doesn't know anything about me. Nothing at all and here she is judging me.

" It's ok. This is a safe environment. Anything you say will be confidential." She said.

" You're just paid to listen to my problems." I told her. " Not like you care."

She frowns and says to me, " I do care. I chose to be a social worker for a reason and caring is one of them. I am here to be ears for people like you who need to be heard."

" People like me?!" I said in outrage. " What is that suppose to mean?!"

" It's as bad as it sounds." She says.

" So I am now just crazy!" I shout. " You know what? I hate being here and I hate talking to you! If you want to transfer me to detention, that's fine! I rather be there than stuck talking to you anyway!"

I grab my backpack and throw open the door before she says anything as I run out of her office. At the moment, I was too angry to even care about the consequences.

* * *

Ms. Briggs POV

It has been two hours since the disastrous session with my student. I really shouldn't have that to her. This is not what she needed to hear.

" And she ran out like that!?" The dean said in outrage.

" Yes." I said sadly. " She really has some anger issues that we need to work on. All though she really is too mad at me to speak to me now."

" I will have to transfer her to detention." He said.

" No. Don't do that" I said to him. " She needs this. It's part of therapy that she is in need of. We put her in detention, she will become more self-destructive."

" How do you even know that she will come to her session after this one?" He said.

" Just give her a chance. We can't just punish her and continue with our lives ignoring her. It will be more trouble in the future for her. I really think she needs this." I said my case to him.

He hesitates but he says, " Alright. I'll let you continue working with her. But she needs to take this seriously."

I nod as a promise. I hope with more time, I can get to the source and be able to help her before something bad happens to her.

* * *

 **Another Chapter is up and this was actually influenced on a real conversation I had with my psychiatrist. Not fully though because there are some private things that I want to keep to myself for that matter.**

 **I will keep this more on Hiccup because this is his story, but I will bring in some other characters' POVs for a more perspective change kind of thing to make this more versatile I guess. But I'm not going to be doing that a lot unlike my Unknow Child story. God! It has been over a year since I became a writer and a lot has changed.**

 **Please Review and See you later.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Art concept.

Mr. Kieser's POV

I have been concerned about Henrietta ever since she began my class at the beginning of the year.

Not that her art work doesn't make up for it. In fact it's beyond amazing of what this student can do. I did not choose her to be in the art showcase for nothing.

She just has been acting like a hermit. While her classmates flourish in their showing off their personalities, she lacks in it. She doesn't want to participate when she is not require to. She goes straight for the back of the class. All she wants to do is be like a shadow. Nothing you would ever see or hear, but you it exists.

I make my rounds in the class and stop at Henrietta's desk last. She makes no sudden move at my presence as she swiftly sketches her work like soft classical music.

Today she has decided to draw a fairy. But not like a fairy with pixie like wings. It's a fairy with big beautiful butterfly wings that transitions into amazing bird like wings. The color in the fairy's eyes is what draws me to them. Like the fairy has possessed me with just a single look with it's cat like eyes. It's truly meant for the art showcase. It would have looked like a disaster into mixing two different concepts, but the way she does it is nothing short of being in a frame.

" Excellent job." I told her in encouragement.

She only shrugs as she goes back to her work. Once again not taking any pride in herself like she should.

I look at the clock of the time and saw that it was way past the time to dismiss my class for the day.

" Class dismissed." I told the class. Everyone's heads perk up at that it's finally over for the day and they all start to put away their art supplies.

I watch as they past me as they turn in their daily assignments. Henrietta is the last one as usually to hand me hers and she tries to get out of my classroom as fast as possible. But I'm not going to let her have it.

" Ah. Ah." I call to her. " Just where do you think you're going."

" Study Hall." She meekly says.

" You can afford a few minutes. I need to talk to you about your concept. Close the door." I told her.

She nods at me and closes the classroom door. She comes back and tells me fast and quickly, " I don't have a concept."

" Well that's what we need to figure out while we're here right now." I said to her.

She scoffs, " Look. I don't know what I want to draw about. To be frank, I still don't want to do this and yet you're making me. That's how I feel about this."

Any teacher would give her a detention on the spot if they heard her say something like that to their face. But I see thing differently.

" It's good that you are expressing your opinion. Tell me right now: Why do you hate being in the showcase." I asked.

" Oh. Great. Another interrogation." She groans in frustration.

" Come on. Give me an answer." I tell her.

" Because I hate attention. I don't like being in the spotlight like some animal in a zoo. I prefer things my way." She said.

" What is your way? How would you have things done if it were your way?" I asked.

" I don't know! I just want to stay out of things! Not be in them like you're making me!" She almost yells.

"That's your problem Henrietta. Is that you don't know what your way is. You rather hide from your problems than being upfront about them." I said to her.

She stays silent as she sits down in a chair puts her face in her hands out of frustration.

" I don't know." She mumbles. " I don't know. I just don't like change in my life."

" That's it. " I told her as I put a hand on her shoulder. " That's your concept. That's what you should do."

" What? What are you talking about?" She asks out of confusion. Perfectly understandable.

" Change." I told her.

" Change? What's that suppose to mean?" She raises an eyebrow.

" Change seems to be a part of you Henrietta. You can either hate it, love it or even fear it. Make your artwork about how you feel about change." I explain to my student.

" Change." She says to herself. I have no idea what she's going to say about it.

" I have confidence in you. You will do a great job. Forgive me for telling you a boring famous quote, but you need to believe in yourself. Don't let others tell you otherwise. They are just nothing but obstacles in your way." I tell her to encourage her.

She stands up harshly with her head down. Her fists are clenched and shaking with strong emotions.

" You don't know my obstacles." She said with anger under her breath as she becomes more louder. " You don't know me. You don't know anything!"

She darts out of the classroom with me feeling stunned with what she had to say.

* * *

Hiccup's POV

I'm pissed off. I am so pissed off. Mr. Kieser doesn't know anything about me! He doesn't know what I have to struggle with every single day!

I ran to the first place that I can think of: A bathroom stall.

I quickly pass a few girls and lock myself in the tiny stall trying to overcome so much emotions. But in a way, it makes me feel worse that I am in a tiny place surrounded by people who I don't belong with.

I don't know what's happening to me. Unlike last week, where I wanted to keep everything a secret, I want nothing more than to talk to someone about it. About how different I am from the crowd. About who I am and what I want to be.

But I can't. No one can know. No one can understand. I'm just a freak. A freak that shouldn't belong.

That's how the world works. That's how I work.

I suddenly start clutching on to my chest as I feel pain erupt in that area. So much pain. The pain that knocks out your breath. It was taking place under my binders

Something must happened while I was running down the hallway. Now that I mentioned it, I did feel a punch like sensation there.

" Ow." I gasped as I slowly shrug off my green hoodie despite the pain. I almost tear up from the throbbing pain." Ow."

I pull the collar of my t-shirt to see what was going on down there. My normally pale skin was red and inflamed surrounding the binders.

Now that I remember it, I used a different kind of bandage this morning instead of my usually binder material because I ran out of the material. It was a lot more stretchy and compressive than my other one, but it's not meant for strapping down breasts. It was meant for wrapping sports injuries.

Gods. I am so stupid right now for not realizing this. This is one of the many no nos for binding breasts. Now I either have bruised my ribs or broken them because of my mistakes.

I go under my shirt and gently take off the disastrous binder. Now I don't have any to keep them down, but I can't injury them even more.

It took forever, but I finally got the thing unraveled and loosened. I gasp in relief as I pull the thing out of my shirt and throw it in the trash beside me in the stall. It still feels extremely painful though from my stupidity.

I feel around my chest. So far it feels very bruised and some really bad skin irritation from the binder. However, I don't feel anything broken. That's a good sign. A very good sign.

I gasp in relief of my assessment of the injury. It's nothing serious and it will heal on it's own. I just can't wear a binder for the next few days. It sucks, but I'll live.

I carefully shrug back on my hoodie and slowly stand myself back onto my feet. Ok. So far so good. Now I just have to get my backpack and get out of here like it was nothing.

But there was one problem. I can't seem to make myself bend forward without feeling intense pain. Not even slightly. Plus, I realized that I can't carry my twenty pound backpack with causing more damage to my ribs.

I sat back down on the toilet as I clutch onto my chest still trying to manage my pain. This is bad. Very bad.

I'm stuck in a tiny stall with my injured ribs. I can't pick up my backpack. I'm basically trapped here. I really have dug myself a hole big time.

* * *

Astrid's POV.

Damn there's something in my eye. I try to rub it out, but it's not working and my eye is really drying out. I need to get to a bathroom.

I go into the nearest one and half-blindedly get a paper towel to wet it for my eye.

I rub at it gently with the towel and sigh in relief when I finally got the thing out of my eye. It was one of my lash hairs that must have some off. I hate that when it happens, but at least it's not there anymore to annoy my eye.

I throw away the towel and was about to leave for my next class when I heard someone from one of the stays groaning. It was more like a pained groan instead of the _other_ groan that you would typically get from a bathroom stay. The person is breathing fast and shallow from behind the stall door. Something's wrong.

But I recognize the voice. It's Hiccup's.

I go over and knock on the stall door.

" Hiccup. Is that you?" I asked.

" Yeah." She responded. She really sounds like she's in pain.

" Are you ok?" I asked. What am I talking about? Of course she's not ok.

It took her a bit but she moans, " No. My ribs hurt."

Ribs? Hurt? This is not good.

" Open the door." I demanded.

I then hear the clicking of the bathroom door for her to let me in.

* * *

 **I decided to have the main character injury his ribs because that is actually an injury that some ftm transgender can have if they are not careful.**

 **I actually was going to do a Big Hero story about this but I change it to How To Train Your Dragon since I already did a female Hiro and there was already existing fanfics about a Hiro ftm, but nothing on Hiccup.**

 **I'm glad that people are really interested in this story. I thought that this a big risk since it is a touchy topic to bring up. I'm glad that this is paying off.**

 **Please Review and See you later.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: A close call.

Hiccup's POV

Dr. Arnold has once again press in fingers into my chest area causing so much pain there. If I could, I would punch her square in the face. But I can't because I can't extend my arm too long because of my injury.

After Astrid had found me, she went immediately to the nurse and got her. The nurse had to check me out in the bathroom since she wanted me to be as immobilize as possible in case of other injuries my ribs would have caused such as a puncture to my organs. The bathroom had to be closed to the rest of the students so I can be loaded up in a wheelchair and taken to an ambulance for the hospital. Which became more embarrassing. Now here I am lying on bed in the busy emergency room with Gobber getting checked out.

Gobber has to be here, since my dad isn't here and had named him my legal guardian in case of something like this happens. Luckily Gobber has given me the benefit of the doubt and left me to be check out privately by Dr. Arnold.

I gasped from the pain. It's so hard to breath right now. I can take a long breath without wanting to gasp in pain.

The doctor then looks at my x-rays and nods at something. Before she turns her attention back at me.

" Your ribs are definitely bruised." She deemed as she writes on her clipboard. As it there was any other explanation for the purple marks that is littering my chest right not.

" You think?" I scoffed. I can't believe that I am in so much pain right now.

" Now would I like to know is: how did this happened?" She asked me.

I want to lie and say that I fell. But when it comes to doctors, I can't lie to them. They would know in an instant that I was lying.

" I… was wearing something that I wasn't suppose to wear in place of a bra." I grumbled.

" It looks like you were. You need to be more careful when it comes to this Miss. Haddock. You can get seriously hurt." She said.

" As if I'm not already." I grumbled again.

" Now I don't want you doing any too physical for the next couple of weeks. You will need physical therapy and I recommend you icing your chest. I will also prescribe some pain medication. Speaking of which, are you on any type of medications?" She asked.

I hesitate but I have to tell her, " Hormone blockers." I said.

" Do you have cancer?" She asked. I get that she's asking that because hormone blockers are used as a part of cancer remission as well as for transgenders.

" No." I answered before another thought came to my mind. " This won't be on the record right?"

" No. Not unless I needed to take it into account if the pain medication would interfere with your hormone blockers." She answers.

" Thanks." I said as I close my eyes in relief.

" I will wait a few more test results just to make sure you're alright. But we should have you out of her in about a few hours." Dr. Arnold said. " Consider yourself lucky."

I watch her leave my hospital cubicle before I see Gobber come around the curtain.

" You know you don't have to leave your job for me." I said.

" I know. But I want to make sure you're alright. Otherwise you're father would kill me." Gobber chuckled as he ruffles my hair. He hasn't done that since I was little.

" I'm not sure that he would care. He sees me as a nuisance." I responded.

" He does care lass. He justs… doesn't know how to handle all of this." He said as he gestures in my direction.

" You just gestured to all of me." I rolled my eyes.

" Don't take it like that. The point is to give your father a chance once in awhile. He's trying to be a father to you, but you know how he is. He's stubborn. You should know it gallops in your family." Gobber points out.

I sigh. I really don't want to talk about this now. I don't need another lecture on family dynamics.

" Hello. Is Henrietta here?" I heard Astrid from a distance. What's she doing here?

Astrid comes around the curtain and sees me.

" Hiccup. You're alright!" She gasps in relief.

" I am." I said. Was she that worried about me?

Gobber shifts his eyes at both Astrid and back at me. He gets what's going on. Which I really wish that he didn't

" Well… I'm going… to… leave you be.." He says before he almost rushes out of here.

" I was worried." Astrid said as she sits by my hospital bed.

" It's nothing. Just bruised ribs." I told her.

" You are hurt either way." She said before punching my shoulder hard.

" Ow!" I yelped. I don't need anymore pain that I'm already am.

" That's for scaring me." She said.

" I deserved that one." I admitted as I moan in pain. This sucks.

" What about swimming?" She asks. " I mean you can't do that with a rib injury."

" Yeah. I'm told that I might just end up take another study hall in the meantime." I said. In a way I am grateful of my injury. I got out of swimming for another year. Horray for my stupidity.

" Alright. What I need to know is how did you get hurt. Did Dagny's goons get to you?" She asked.

" No. Nothing like that. I just… I just….' I tried to explain but I don't know what to say to her.

" If you don't want tell me that's fine. But you can trust me. I won't do anything to hurt you." She says.

" Thanks. Astrid." I said feeling more comfortable. I look at her and see actually blush. Which caused me to blush.

Oh. What am I doing? She shouldn't be into me. She should be into guys. Not freaks of nature like me. But I can't tell her what to be into. Only she can do that for herself. But why? Why is she giving me her time of the day. I don't deserve this. I don't.

" Are you going to the homecoming dance this friday." She asked.

I shrugged, but that causes me to grunt in pain. I forgot how these gesture hurt my ribs

" Maybe." I said. " I don't have anything better to do."

" Cool. Because Ruffnut has already picked out our suits." Astrid smirked.

Suits? Oh yeah. I planted the idea in Ruffnut's head last week.

" You guys are actually doing it?" I chuckled.

" Ever since you gave her the inspiration. To be quite honest it's actually growing on me." Astrid laughed as well.

" I can't believe you be into something like that." I snorted.

" Now imagine her brother in a dress. She picked out his dress and he doesn't know it yet." Astrid said.

I would have bursted out laughing if it weren't for my ribs. Even then I could barely contain the temptation.

Hey injuring my ribs wasn't as bad as I thought.

* * *

 **Another chapter done. Sorry for being a little late. I was busy with work. I hope you like this chapter for now. I will release a longer one. I swear.**

 **I also released another test chapter for a story called:** **The Messenger.** **It's about Hiccup's older sister named Kyra who was sent away not long after birth for her own protection and now has to help the people that abandoned her.**

 **Please check out the story and see you later.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Making the first cut.

Hiccup's POV

I have been staying at home for the past couple of days following my trip to the hospital for my rib injuries and it stills hurt like hell despite being on the pain medication.

My dad called me yesterday. He was of course was concerned about me and asked me if I wanted him to come home. I told that I'll be fine and that he should focuses on his job. He didn't really object to it but he did show some sort of concern before he hung up on me.

I don't like the help I am being given, but I do appreciate it. Astrid stops by my house to drop off the homework that I needed to do. Gobber makes sure that I had something to eat. I don't like depending on them, but it's not like I have that much of a choice.

I spend most of my time in my room working on my art pieces for the art showcase next week. I found out that my dad is going to be home by next week, so if he wants he can come to my showcase. But I doubt that he has interest in it.

I sketch my next piece for the showcase. It shows a girl flying in a cloudy sky as she transcends into a dragon. But it's not a scary dragon. It's a beautiful blue dragon with sunset orange wings. Her transforming claws are red. The girl hangs her head as she looks towards the ground while her wings/arms are stretched as far as it can be. Her feet are poised like a ballerina. The dragon girl was the goddess of the sky.

I hope this is something that Mr. Kieser will like for the showcase. Already I feel so much pressure of what's going to happen. I just don't know what I am going to do.

I get up from the chair and walk over to the mirror in the bathroom to look at myself. I hate the girl I see. I just want her to be gone. I just want her to disappear.

I then hear knocking on the door. I carefully make my way downstairs to see my dog wagging his tail excitedly. That's a sign that Astrid is here.

I open the door to see her holding a bag.

" Hey." She smiles.

" What up?" I asked.

" Well I decided to come over to drop off a few things." She said. " Mainly this."

She gives the bag over to me. Luckily it's light since I'm not allowed to lift heavy objects for the next few weeks.

I look in it and see something familiar. It was the suit I tried on when I was at the clothes store the other day. I feel the soft brown material between my fingers.

" You got this for me?" I asked in shock. No one has ever gotten me something since two years ago.

" Well you were feeling down since the injury so I wanted to make sure you were going to the dance. I also know how much you like that suit." She said.

" Thanks." Was all I could say.

" I also got mine." She said gesturing to her backpack. " Speaking of which. Can I use your bathroom?"

" Go ahead." I told her.

She nods in appreciation as she goes up the stairs as I collapse onto the couch with my dog lying beside my feet. He looks at me and starts to whine. He whines when I don't pet him. I wish I could but I can't really bend forward without feeling excruciating pain in my chest.

" Sorry bud." I said before I hear some footsteps coming the stairs. I look up and my mouth drops.

Astrid comes down the stairs wearing a simple starlight grey pantsuit with a royal blue dress shirt underneath and shiny black shoes. She has no tie or anything, but she really doesn't need one for the suit she is wearing Her hair was braided over her shoulder as usual, but she had a grey ribbon laced through it to make it look nicer.

I have to say. She looks good. Really good. I think I may have blushed in response If I haven't if she wasn't in a dress, she still looks great in it. She's the type of person that will look good in anything and I mean anything. She can even pull off a potato sack if she ever was forced into one at one point.

" Whoa." Was all I can say to this.

" I have to admit. Wearing a suit is sure a lot more comfortable than wearing a dress. Ruffnut helped me pick it out. I figure though that it wasn't a good idea to change at my family's house since my dad would flip." She admits as though I didn't react to her coming down the stairs as she sits down next to me on the couch.

" Luckily my dad isn't going to be home for the next week." I said to her.

" Thanks for letting me change here." She tells me.

" No problem." I shrugged. " It's the least that I can do."

" You still up for the dance?" She asked.

I have to admit though. My ribs still hurt like hell and I have never been to a school dance before in my life. If I had the choice, I wouldn't go. I would stay right here and no one would have to see me over there. Especially if Dagny is there. I don't want to be where Dagny is at the moment.

But of all things I wanted to say to Astrid in truth, I ended up with this, " Yeah. I can go."

" Great." She smiles. " You should go get changed. The dance is going to be in less than an hour."

I nod as I take the bag that has my suit in it with me up the stairs to get changed. When I lock the door, I used my privacy as a way to let my feelings out

" Arghhhhhh!" I groan. " Why didn't I just tell her the truth?!"

But I knew why I didn't want to tell her the truth. In a way, I wanted to go to the god forsaken dance. She was going to be there with me. I wanted to be with her. But I also want to be with her as the person I want to be

I breath out in frustration as I make the decision to just put on the suit. It took a while because I had to carefully maneuver myself into the suit.

I finally button the last one on my brown vest and look at the mirror. My eyes met of those of a stranger who is someone I nearly wanted to be. I said nearly because I still notice one flaw in this image in front of me. My long brown hair.

I sigh in frustration as look down at the sink. That's when a shiny thing caught my eye. A pair of scissors. My dad's to be exact. He would use it in order to trim his humongous beard to keep it from being scraggly near the ends.

This gave me an idea. A crazy and insane idea.

I clenched my fist in contemplation of what I should do. Should I go for? Is it worth the fact that my dad will kill me if I did it?

But I can't seem to make up my mind in my head. My body seems to made the decision for me as I watched my small hand slowly grasp on to the scissors and pick it.

My other hand does the same thing as it picks up a front piece of my hair and lifts to meet the scissors. My breathing patterns become faster and more intense as the scissor becomes closer. I wanted to stop myself, but at the same time I just wanted to screw it.

My heart nearly stops as I made the first cut. It becomes slow as I watch the long brown hair piece that I got from my mom cascade down into the sink. I could not believe what I had just down to myself. Now I know for sure that my dad is so going to kill me when he gets home this week.

But that didn't matter anymore when I look back at myself in the mirror. For the first time, I didn't see a girl. I saw a boy in progress.

As hard as it was to make the first cut. It became a lot easier to make the next cuts on my once long hair. The more cuts I made to my hair, the more I was beginning to watch the girl in the mirror disappear as the boy was starting to come more alive. It was as beautiful as seeing the metamorphosis on a butterfly.

I finally make the last few trims to my hair and brush off the chopped hair that has caught onto my body. My head feels lighter after losing that bulk of hair and I felt a breeze on the back of my neck. It's strange, but I like it.

I look in the mirror again and I don't see an insecure girl. I saw a guy. A lean and tall guy with choppy chin length hair, but it actually looks good. I know I could use some few rounds in the gym to help myself look a little stronger, but not bad.

I could spend hours looking at myself after such a liberation, but I have someone to go to the dance with and I am not about to break my promise. I quickly swap on my beanie, my coat, and adjust my glasses before I come back downstairs.

Astrid was playing with the dogs when I slowly came down the stairs. It was an amusing sight to see Stormfly sitting on top of Toothless after quite a playful fight. What made me more interested though was seeing Astrid smiling widely. Which not a lot of people don't get to see all that much since she puts on a tough display.

She turns around to look at me and gawks at my appearance. I hope that's not a bad thing.

" You…. cut your hair?" She asked.

I breathed out loudly, " Yeah." Having no idea what she is going to think.

" Take off the hat." She told me. I did as she said and pulled off the hat before ruffling the remains of my hair.

She comes up to me and looks at it and then me in the face. I don't know what she is trying to make of it, but I don't like where this is going.

She finally said, " You look good."

" Really?" I asked.

She nods in sincerity, " Yeah. I can see more of your face. Your long hair tends to do that. You should have done this a long time ago."

I blush as I rub the back of my head. " Thanks."

" Ruffnut is going to have a field day with this one." She said as punched my shoulder hard.

" Ow!" I groan as the hit jostled my ribs a bit.

" Sorry." She apologizes.

" No problem." I breathed out.

Although showing my new look to Astrid was a big one. I know I have bigger judges to face in the future that I am so not looking forward to. This one tonight is the entire school.

* * *

 **Sorry it took me a bit to update. I had other stories. Some of them are recent pitches for what I am thinking about doing in the future. One of them that is becoming popular is** **The Messenger** **story that I am actually quite enjoying to do. I also am trying to finish another story called** **No Son Of Mine** **. I am actually going to try to have that one finished by Thanksgiving. This got shoved to the side a bit, so I apologized for the inconvenience.**

 **Next Chapter is about the dance and a lot is going to happen. I won't mention what. But it's a mouthful.**

 **Please Review and See You later.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The dance.

Hiccup's POV

I have never been to a dance before. Even with the knowledge so far from numerous bad high school movies like High School Musical, I had no idea what to expect when I walked through the gym doors.

The first thing that I noticed was how loud it was. I swear it can burst my eardrums if it hasn't already. The whole place was decked out in our school colors. Gold and Green. Plus it was crowded on the dance floor. Really Crowded.

I don't know how I am suppose to approach this, but I swallow my fears down as I follow Astrid into the space.

" Hey Astrid!" I heard Ruffnut called. It wasn't more than thirty seconds before I saw her rush towards us in red and blue pinstriped suit. The kind of suit you would see someone with a loud personality in. Totally Ruffnut.

" Hey. Nice suit." Astrid smirked.

" Right back at you!" She shouts before she sees me and her mouth drops.

" Hi." I nervously waved. I suddenly remembered that I cut my hair.

" Dude is that Hiccup?!" She shouts in shock.

" Yeah… it's me." I admitted.

" Oh Gods! You look like a guy! An attractive guy!" She exaggerates. Does she really find me attractive like this? Either it's some kind of joke or she's really serious about this.

" Thanks." Was all I can say.

" Unlike my brother who is now an ugly girl." She smirks as she points to her brother just standing on the dance floor with a scowl on his face. He was wearing a shocking pink dress that was oddly weird on his frame. He looks like a girl that is in need of a long bath and major maintenance.

" How did you get him to wear the dress?" Was all I can ask.

" I told him that unless he wants his clothes stolen the next school day, he better complied." She explains. " He knows when I am not bluffing."

All three of sudden laugh at the idea of a naked Tuffnut.

" Well let's not just stand here. Let's dance!" Astrid says before she drags me towards the dance floor without warning.

" Astrid. I'm good with just being on the sidelines." I tried talking her out of this as I tried to pull from her strong grip to no avail.

" You'll never live without dancing like an idiot." She smirks at me as we are swallowed by the crowd.

The D.J switches to a music that I remembered for a long time as one of my mom's favorites. I would see her and dad sing and dance to it when I was a kid. It was the song "Come on Eileen" By Dexter's Midnight Runners.

" No way." I told myself as I turn my attention back to Astrid. I see her dancing. But it wasn't professionally. But even so, she looked like she was having fun.

" Come on!" She encourages.

" I can't believe that I'm doing this." I tell myself as I just move my body. I don't know what I'm doing. I hope I'm not messing this up.

" That's it!" She screams.

I laugh as I realize that dancing is actually kind of fun. I can't believe that I am here with Astrid. In a suit. In the middle of a crowded dance floor dancing to " Come on Eileen." It was like I felt like a new person.

The song then ends with people cheering for whatever reason. I don't care. I was just glad that I was able to have this much fun.

Then the doors behind us open to show Dagny arrive with her posse. She looks great as usual in a couture green dress. But man does she look piss. Someone must have have messed with her big time and I hope that it doesn't have to do with me.

" Who spit in her soup?" Ruffnut asked.

An unfamiliar guy turns to us and says, " You haven't heard. She got turned down by Chaz Rodriguez."

" The quarterback on our football team?" I raised an eyebrow.

" Yeah. Told her that he doesn't date girls who are insane and rely on her rich daddy." He said before going back to his group of friends.

" That must have stung." Ruffnut mutters before I look closer in on what's going on with Dagny's group. I can a dispute happening among her and one of her girls.

" Come on Dagny. He's not even worth it." One of her girls said.

Dagny turns her glares towards the girl and slaps her hard. People go silent as they saw this happen to the girl, but no one did anything to stop it.

" Did I tell you to tell me that?!" She shouts at her. The girl whimpers as Dagny grabs her hair and makes her look at her in fear.

" No." The girls whimpers.

" That's right. You're stupid and you know it. Say it back to me." She demands.

" I'm stupid and I know it." She cries.

I don't know what has given me the confidence I have never had before, but suddenly here I am stomping over to her royal bitchiness.

" Hey!" I shout.

" Hiccup?" She turns her attention before snorting at me. " What's with the suit. Figured out you looked awful in dress?"

" Let go of the girl." I demanded.

" Fine." She says as releases the crying girl. " She's useless to me anyway."

The girl starts sobbing as she runs away from the space.

" You don't own this school. Yet you think you do because of the fact daddy lets you get away with it." I tell her off.

She scoff. " You suddenly have gain some confidence Hiccup. Too bad that you're too ugly to even get anyone with the way you look anyway."

People suddenly in the background go, "ooooooo"

" Looks might be part of the way to getting a date." I give her the benefit. " But at least I'm not the one that got turned down by the quarterback for my nasty attitude." I responded without even think about the consequences.

" OHHHHHHH…" The people said even louder.

Dagny turns a fiery red on her face as much as her hair in response. No one has ever talked to her like that.

" Why you…" She starts but shuts up.

" You should just go." I advised her. Her staying here doesn't help with the fact that I embarrassed her in front of the entire school

In the meantime, her posse just back away as she turns around and slowly walks out of the gym. People just stay silent in response to what just happened. I told off the richest girl in the school. I told off Dagny Osvin.

I couldn't believe what I just did myself. I would never had done it in any other case. Then I realised that I did it because I was in control of myself. I didn't feel like the person who was always ashamed and uncomfortable with herself.

" Whoa." Ruffnut breathes out.

" Damn." Astrid said before she turns to me. " Since when did you have this much confidence?"

" I have no idea." I said. " I need to use the bathroom."

She nods as I leave the gym space and I walk up to where they are. That's when I saw the depictions on the doors.

I never thought about this until now, but want to use the men's room. instead of the women's room. I usually would try and ignore this feeling like I shouldn't have these thoughts. Tonight is different. I feel different.

I look around to make sure no one I know sees me before I enter the men's room to do my business.

It wasn't like it was special or anything while I was in there. I just felt more comfortable being more closer to my ideal gender identity.

I was about to come out of the stall when I heard boys that I do know come in. It was Snotlout and Tuffnut.

" I can't believe what my cousin did." Snotlout says. " Now I know not to mess with her."

" Dagny needed a telling off." Tuffnut admitted.

" Dude. You look weird peeing in that pink dress." Snotlout commented. I did not need know to that.

" Well. I don't have that much of a choice. Thanks to my sister. But man your cousin looks like a guy with that short hair and suit. You think that she is. Especially with how skinny she is." He said. I don't like how much he comments about my weight. I am trying to gain some pounds without injuring my ribs even more.

" For some reason, tonight she looks more like a guy than I ever had seen her as a girl. I remembered when she would cry because her mom made her wear a dress on picture day when we were kids. She just never likes anything that has to do with being a girl."

I never thought that my cousin had saw me like that. He may not be the brightest tool in the shed, but he's not dumb. He can pick up some details and eventually piece it together when he feels motivated to.

I remembered the picture days at my former elementary school. How much my mom would beg me to put on a dress just so I would look nice for the pictures. I would cry because it felt like a crime against nature for her to be doing this to me. I never asked to wear a dress and I didn't asked for her to do that to me. I finally was able to get off the hook when I moved on to middle school, but I still remember the times where my family would comment about what I wore.

I finally hear them leave before I came out of the stall and looked at myself in the mirror. I'm a guy. I know it. There's nothing that I can do to change it and maybe I should tell someone the truth about who I am because I can't live this lie anymore.

I walked out of the bathroom and was just about to head back to the gym when something hits me in the back of the head in surprise manner.

" You ruined me. Now I ruin you." I heard a snake voice as I blacked out from the pain in my head.

* * *

 **There is going to be some major stuff going on in the next chapter. That's all I can say. This story is not going to be my longest now that I thought about. But it's not the shortest I have ever done. There's more to come in the upcoming chapters. I promise you guys that.**

 **Please Review and See You later.**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: A night of regrets

Astrid's POV

Something's up. It's been too long. Where's Hiccup?

I march straight over the restrooms and go inside the women's room. She's not there. It's completely empty. This raises an alarm for me.

For a moment, I considered that she went somewhere else or that she went home. So I called her phone. I just hope she will just pick it up to relieve my nerves.

All I get is this." Hi. You reach Hiccup. A.K.A Henrietta. I am not here at the moment. Leave your name and message and I will get back to you."

I tried again and I get the same response.

" Hi. You reach Hiccup. A.K.A Henrietta. I am not here at the moment. Leave your name and message and I will get back to you."

" Damn!" I nearly shout as I pocket the phone.

" Miss. Hofferson. Is something the matter?" I heard a teacher. It was Mr. Kieser. He must be here to chaperone the dance tonight.

" Hiccup's gone." I tell him.

" Hiccup?" He said in confusion.

" Henrietta." I corrected myself. I often forget that the teachers refer to her by her real name instead of the nickname.

He immediately looked concerned. " Do you have any idea where she may have gone."

I scoff, " No. She told me she had to use the bathroom. It's been twenty minutes and she's still not back. I checked the bathroom to see if she was still there. She wasn't. I just tried calling her phone. She hasn't answered."

" Oh god." He mumbles out of worry and gets out his own phone. " I'm contacting the police. Her guardian, Gobber, is in the gym. Can you go get him?" He asked. Though it was more of a have to.

I run into the gym and I instantly spot Gobber dancing on the floor.

" Hey Lass!" He smiles but it disappears when he sees my face.

" Gobber!" I shout and he nearly slips on his prosthetic.

" Lass." He responds. " What's wrong?"

" Hiccup's missing. No one know's where she is!" I shout over the music to him.

" Let's get out here and you can tell me everything!" He tells me and we both head out of the gym in time to see a couple of people from the school security office coming down the hall.

" Do you have anything on her?" Mr. Kieser asks them. I wasn't prepared at all for what they were about to say

" We have some footage from the cameras. We saw the student come out of the men's room and was hit over the head with some blunt object before dragging the student unconscious. We have no clear view of the person who hit her. The person was wearing a non-descript black hoodie and pants. We couldn't even make out the gender." The guy said.

" Oh my god." Mr. Kieser clutches his mouth in horror as he turns away.

" The police should be here any minute to take statements." The security guy says.

Statements. Statements!? That's the best they can do!?

" They shouldn't be here taking statements now! They should be going out and finding her!" I shout at the guy viciously. Even for a grown man, he yelps at me yelling at him.

" Astrid. I know you're angry and worry. But this isn't the answer now. What we need is to figure a trail where Henrietta could have been taken to." Gobber tells her. " We will find her."

" I'm not concerned of whether we find her. I'm more concern on finding her either dead or alive." I growl under my breath.

* * *

Hiccup's POV.

I don't know how long I was there. It seems like forever. It might be because of how long and torturous the beating was.

I was thrown at the wall again for the millionth time and I crumpled to the floor. I don't even stop the people from kicking my viciously into my back. I stopped crying in pain by now.

" Enough." The snake said. I hear out my good ear her footsteps. She yanks me by the hair and make me face her. Her scary smile is bestowed on her beautiful face.

" I have to say. I never expected you to be so… much fun." She sneers at my vulnerable state.

I could only breath out heavily in response. My breathing has never hurt this much. If my ribs weren't broken before, they are broken now.

I couldn't even break free because of my hands being tied behind my back.

" You got it on camera?" She asks someone. I don't know who. It justs seems too dark and unfocused for me. It doesn't help since my glasses was smashed at one point. I can't see far without my glasses.

" Confession and everything." I heard a guy.

" Excellent." She says before turning back to me. " Come on Hiccup. We're going to go for a little drive."

I'm suddenly forced onto my feet. I can barely walk. I lean heavily against the people that are technically dragging me up the stairs of some house and out the door.

I nearly tripped on a curb as they lead me back to the car I was dragged into. Everything is a blur to me. My heads hurt and I feel disoriented. From the looks of the skies, it's really late at night.

" What about my house. There's blood everywhere." A girl said As I'm shoved into the backseat of the vehicle.

" Just clean it with bleach." She snarls at her. " It should cover it up."

I lean my head against window as the car starts up and pulls out of the driveway.

" What are planning to do with her?" The guy asked.

" Just dump her ass off somewhere far from the house. I just have one thing to make sure we're clear on." I heard Dagny.

The driving goes on for about ten minutes until it stops at a neighborhood.

The door that I was leaning up against opens and I fall onto the paved ground hard.

"mhhhh…" I groan painfully. I can't seem to move.

" Listen to me you transwhore. If you so much as tell anyone what happened between you and I, you will be much worse off than what you are right now. Got it?"

I slightly nod in response. Though I'm confused of what did happened between her and I. I must have made her real mad.

" Alright. She's sweared on it." She calls out to her friends.

" Let's go before anyone notices." The guy says.

I hear her run and slam the car door close before they drive off. Leaving me on the cold pavement with my hands tied behind my back like some animal.

I feel like a wounded animal. I don't know a place where there is no pain to compare to the pain that I'm experiencing. It just hurt. My torso. My head. The worst one is my leg. Why does my leg hurt so much?

I blink tears of pain and sadness out of my eyes as I am stuck alone on the side of the road. No one there to hear my cries.

Why did tonight have to go like the way it did? I just wanted for once to be ok with myself. But I had to ruin it all by standing up to her. I just wanted to go to the dance with Astrid. I just wanted to have fun with her and not feel like an outsider. Was it really hard to ask?

" I'm sorry." I said through my forsaken tears of shame. " I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry Astrid. I'm sorry to everybody."

I hear someone running towards me. As the sound gets closer. It sounds more like two people. I honestly don't care at this point anymore.

I feel my vision start to blacken again. I know that I'm about to lose consciousness again. The cold paved ground doesn't help so much either.

" Shit!" I hear a man shout. " Call 911!"

" Oh god!" A woman gasped. " Who would do something like this to this poor boy?!"

If only they knew that I wasn't a boy.

I feel the my hand bindings being cut off.

" I'm sorry." I said.

" You don't have to be sorry." The woman shouts but I'm not really paying much attention at the moment.

" I'm sorry." I said as I hear sirens coming my way.

From the corner my eye, I see people pull out a gurney. I wonder who it's for as my head becomes too painful for me to stay aware. Let alone think.

" I'm sorry." I said before I lose touch of this world.

* * *

 **This is a deep chapter and very heinous. This was based on the a tv movie that I don't remember the name, but it had something to do with a teenaged girl being viciously beaten by some people in one scene while being videotaped.**

 **More details on the injuries will be revealed in the next chapter. I won't over do the injuries because no offense but some writers tend to overdo beatings. I just want to be more realistic on what a vicious beating will look like.**

 **Please review and see you later.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Hiccup's POV

Everything hurts. I can't move my body as a rush of colors flood my vision.

" Jesus! What happened to him?!" Somebody shouts.

" This kid got severely beaten. That's what!" A woman shouts.

I slightly open my eyes to find people rushing around some bright place and looking at me in worry and disbelief. Is this heaven? Because it looks very disturbing.

" Hey!" A woman shouts at me. " Do you know where you're at?!"

" I'm hurt." I responded.

" Yes! You are hurt. But can you tell me your name?" She asks.

" I don't want to." I moan. " I hate that name so much."

" Please tell me! Please tell me young man." The woman begged.

" She's a girl!" Some guy shouts in disbelief.

" A girl?" The woman looks at the guy in skeptical.

" I'm a boy." I denied despite the pain I'm in.

" Ok. You're a boy!" She says in a fast pace manner. I think it's more that she's freaking out. But I'm glad someone has acknowledge me as a boy. I wanted that so much.

" We need to take her to the OR!" Another woman shouts. " We detect hemorrhaging in her abdomen from the ultrasound!" So that's what cold feeling on my stomach was.

I see a rush of more colors as I am being moved in some miraculous way. I don't know how they able to move me like that. I feel like I am on a magic carpet.

" Please tell me your name. Even if you don't like it!" She begs me.

" Henrietta Haddock." I groan as I go through steel doors. " I hate that name so much."

" It doesn't suit you." The woman agrees as she disappears.

I'm lifted from the magic carpet to a very cold table. People in the color yellow come in and surround me like bees in a hive.

A dark skin guy with some plastic mask comes over to me.

" We're going to put you to sleep now honey." He says.

" My Dad used to call me and mom honey." I said as I see the mask being placed over my mouth and nose. I'm surprised how fast at I feel warm and very sleep from the intensive sweet smell. I close my eyes and drift off.

* * *

Gobber's POV

The last time I was sitting in the waiting room of the hospital was when Hiccup was being born. I bought Stoick cigars for the arrival of his new baby and he was so busy crying in happiness that he didn't care about them. I didn't blame him for his crying, nor did I blame him for his crying when I had to tell him over the phone that his daughter was brutally beaten tonight and is now in surgery.

What's worse is that the doctor didn't give us anything on whether she was going to make it. That's not a good sign. I know that because I got the same reaction when I nearly blown into pieces back in the Afghanistan war five years ago. Although I was strong enough to survive. for Hiccup I don't know.

A nurse from the operating room came out after several hours.

" She's not…" I started in worry and with my heart on the edge of stopping.

She shook her head. " It's a mess. She's hemorrhaged in her abdomen, but we managed to control it. Her left leg is broken and she has a concussion. She might fall into a coma. I don't understand who would do this to her."

" I know it's Dagny." Astrid clenches her fist in anger. " She just couldn't handle someone standing up to her. She did this."

" Lass. I know how you feel, but we need evidence." I told her. Even though I would believe that Dagny would be responsible.

" I have to back in there." The nurse says. " I will try and give you more updates on her condition."

She then leaves me and Astrid in the waiting. Silent and hoping the Hiccup is going to make it. I want her to be as strong as me when I was on the thread of death and even then I barely made it through.

After an hour, I hear Astrid talk.

" Remember when Mr. Kieser said that Hiccup came out of the men's room." Astrid suddenly asks out of nowhere.

" Hm? Umm… Yes. But she may have made a mistake or something." I mumbled. Though it did baffle me.

" It confirmed everything about what I knew about her…. no… him." She said.

" Him?" I blinked my eyes. " What do you mean by him?"

" I mean.." She started but I focus on my attention on something else. A big red bearded man running into the E.R. Stoick.

" Where is she?! Where is she?!" Stoick yells.

" Stoick!" I call out.

" Gobber! My daughter!.." He stresses out. I can't blame him.

" In surgery. She hemorrhaged…. but they managed to control it. That's all I know." I tell my friend.

" Oh gods!" He puts his head in hands and sobs. " My little girl. I want those monsters who did this to her found!"

" The police are on it." I assured him on that.

" I don't want them arrested! I want to beat them up bloody for what they did!" He shouts.

" Do you want to be arrested yourself? Do you want your daughter to wake up to find out that you're in jail?" I try to get him to calm down. But he's a father, he has every right to be angry.

" I don't care! I want justice for my daughter!" He collapses onto the waiting chair. Sobbing.

" They will be found and brought to justice for this. Right now you need to focus on your kid." I tell him. " She's gonna need you when she wakes up."

Her nods in understanding and starts to calm down.

" Mr. Haddock?" I hear the doctor. She comes towards us as she takes off her surgical gloves and face mask. " I'm Dr. Arnold. I'd lead your daughter's surgery."

" How is she?" He asks.

" She's stable. She had severe hemorrhaging in her abdomen. Her bruised ribs became broken and we had to strap them to keep them in place. Luckily it didn't puncture either of her lungs. She has a has facial damage. There may be permanent damage to her left eye and ear. We don't know that for sure until she wakes up. Her left leg is broken and we had to put screws in it. It was a very bad fracture I'm afraid. We don't know if she will retain full function of the leg. We just had her moved into the intensive care unit. I'll take you guys up to see her now."

My friend nods and all three of us follow the doctor down the hallway to a large room where several patients are in. One of them was in a body cast and that made my heart sink. The doctor pulls back a curtain near the back of the place to reveal the poor lass.

Her face was unrecognizable. She has an oxygen tube down her throat as she breathes steadily. The left side of her face was black and blue with her upper lip split. She was in a yellow hospital gown. Her leg was elevated and in a cast. An IV line is hooked in her right arm.

" We have to give her some oxygen to help her breath with her ribs broken. We'll take it out depending when she wakes up and how she's doing. She's already been through hell." Dr. Arnold said. " I have other patients I need to tend to. Let me know when she wakes up."

" Right doctor." Stoick says in sad manner. I can tell this is not how he wants to see his only child at all.

The doctor leaves us in the room and we just stare at the young girl.

Stoick sits in the chair besides his daughter and takes the girl's hand with his own. Just like he did when he saw his wife after the plane crash.

" Henrietta. I know you're sleeping, but your dad wants you to wake up. Can you wake up for me?" He asks her unconscious form. " Please Henrietta. I beg you."

She just continues to sleep peacefully. At least she's not in pain from the looks of her expression.

* * *

 **I felt like dishing out another chapter in this story. Luckily my school got canceled due to a matter of security. I don't know what the hell is going on. That's what you get when you live in small town. I guess. I decided to use this day to write and post this chapter.**

 **I so can't wait for school to be over for the winter break. Even though it's only two weeks I seriously want it more than anything right now.**

 **I hope I didn't overdo the injuries. I tried to make it seem more realistic to what a beaten would look like. I'm not sure if I want to do the amputation though. It's a transgender story. Hiccup's already going to go through a lot of changes. I'm still thinking about it. Tell me if you want the amputation to happen because I left it as an open suggestion.**

 **Please Review and See You later.**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Story

Hiccup's POV

I slowly open my right eye and light nearly blinds me before my sight adjusts to my surroundings. Well a bit blurry. I wish I have my glasses on. I was in a bed. A hospital bed. Right near me is a person I seen before. Dr. Arnold.

" I see that you're awake." She gives me sad smile. " How are you feeling Henrietta?"

Before I can answer, I start to choke on the thing that is shoved down my throat. The doctor swiftly pulls the tube like object out of my throat.

I take a gasp of breath, but that breath is being accompanied by severe pain in my chest and is causing me to lose control of my breathing and start gasping again. It becomes a lot easier when the doctor loops a smaller tube across my face. The air that is being forced through my nose instead becomes helpful.

" The choking on the tube was normal. In fact, it's good. It means you were starting to breath on your own. Although given your broken ribs, so you do still need some assisting on that. Do you know where you are?" She asks me.

" Hospital." I croak.

She nods. " Ok. At least you're aware. Your family's at the cafeteria. I'll send someone to go get them."

All I can do is nod as she leaves my section. I look to see more of my surroundings. My leg itches like hell in a cast. I can't move because my torso hurts. I can't even feel the left side of my face and can only see from one eye. The same goes for my hearing.

I hear many footsteps running toward my bed and the curtain flies open. I am expecting to see Gobber and Astrid. Which that is the case, but I didn't expect to see my dad.

" Dad?" Is all I can say. What was he doing here? He shouldn't be here.

" Henrietta!" He gasps as comes over to my bedside. " I am so sorry that I wasn't there to protect you." He cries.

I suddenly remember why I am here. The dance. Dagny. The beating. Everything.

Suddenly I see a pair of police come into the ward and come towards where I am, " Miss. Haddock. We're detectives Olson and Schaffer. I know you and your family need some private time, but the we need to question you about the night of the attack." The woman officer introduces her and her partner.

" She's been through enough!" My dad says angrily. Which makes me angry that he was speaking on my behalf while I am still in the room.

" I'm sorry Mr. Haddock, but it's policy. Your daughter's conscienous and aware. She needs to be question." The woman officer, Olson, stands firm.

" Fine, but I am staying here." My dad says says.

" That's fine. Everyone else needs to go." Schaffer says. Gobber and Astrid leave the room. Although Astrid seems to have hesitated.

" Do you know how this all started?" Olson asks.

" She was kidnapped from her homecoming dance." My dad answers for me. Again. Really pisses me off. I kinda wish he isn't here.

" We know about that, but we need to hear everything from your daughter. Her words. Not yours. We will take your statement later." Olson says. My father grumbles, but complies. " Once again Henrietta. How did this all started?"

" Astrid and I went to the dance as friends." I start.

" Go on." Schaffer says as he's taking notes.

" I saw a girl bully another one, so I told her off. She left and… I had to use the bathroom. After I came out, I got hit in the back of my head. I may have blacked out. Next thing I remembered was being in someone's house."

" What happened in the house?"

" I tried to leave, but they wouldn't let me go. I first remember being shoved against the wall. Then I was yanked by my hair and was dragged towards a door to basement. I didn't want to go down there, so I grabbed hold of the door frame. That didn't stop them. I was kicked in the back and I fell down the stairs."

I start to remember those guys and girls laughing as I struggled to not go down the basement. I stabbing feeling came back into into my back when I remember someone's high heel shoe kick me down the stairs.

" I… think I broke my leg when I feel down the stairs. I was crying from the pain. They just stomp on my leg even more to cause more pain. It just became numb eventually."

" How many people were there?" Olson asks.

" Four. No wait. Five. One of them was holding a phone with a camera. I think they were taping the whole thing." I suddenly remember.

My dad's face is purple when he hears this, but I know he's not angry at me.

" Take your time." Olson gently says.

I take deep breath and continue, " I don't know how long it lasted. It felt like forever and ever. But I feel every punch, kick, being picked up and thrown at the wall. It all just became numb. That's all I can recall during the beating. When they were done, their leader forced me to apologize for what I did to what I know was a phone with a camera and I had to say something else to make myself feel unworthy.

" What were your exact words?" Olson asks.

I look at my dad. I can't say it. Not while he's here. I can't say in front of him.

" Henrietta tell them what those monsters made you say." He says

" I can't." I shake my head frantically. " I can't."

" We need to know otherwise anything you keep out will be used against you when we prosecute this case and you have to testify."

"Testify!" I shout before a shock of pain in my chest hits me. I almost tried to sit up.

" You questioned her enough!" My dad steps in.

" We can't leave without know who did this to her. Do you want them put in jail or not." Schafer asserts his authority.

My dad was reluctant, but he grudgingly gave in.

" Now then." Olson says. " We need to know who was the ringleader in your attack. Can you tell me that at least?"

I close my only open eye and nod reluctantly.

" Good. Now a name." She urges me.

" Dagny. Dagny Osvin." I tell her. Everyone immediately freezes.

" Dagny?" My father gasps. " But Oswald's a good man. Why would his daughter do something like this."

" Actually we're not surprised." Schaffer says.

" Huh?" I look at the detective in confusion.

" What do you mean not surprised?" My dad asks the question for me.

" She's been arrested several times before for ties to brutal assaults. Although, judges have dismissed them due to lack of evidence and her victims recanted their accusations. Which is why she has no record." Schaffer explains.

" My daughter is not dropping these charges. I won't let her get away with this!" My father shouts.

" Dad." I said in order for him to calm down.

" Even so, we need evidence against her. Do you remember anything else? Do you know where the house was?" Olson says.

" It was a green house. On a street called Kennings. I know because the house was on a corner near the street sign. I was able to see it from the car. Even without my glasses."

" Your glasses?" Olson says.

" I'm near sighted. Why is that important?" I ask in confusion.

" Were you wearing them when you were being beaten?" She insists.

" Yes. I think lost them though in the house."

" We might be able to build a case then." Schaffer says as puts away his notebook.

" Huh?" I said in confusion

" If we find your glasses in the house the you were assaulted in, the case is strong enough to move forward towards the person who was involved living in the house. Although we need something to tie Dagny. Perhaps if we can find the video she had someone tape it can easy make ironclad case. We'll keep in touch Miss. Haddock. You just get some rest." Olson says as she and her partner heads out of the ward.

My father sits in the chair next to my bed. " Oh Henrietta. I am sorry."

" It's not your fault." I croak to him. " You weren't there."

" I shouldn't have left alone though. Dagny is going to pay for it." He says angrily.

" Please just let it go." I beg him.

" I can't and I won't." He says. " They nearly killed you last night."

" I asked for it." I admit. " I told Dagny off when she was bullying a girl."

" You were standing for yourself and that girl. There's a difference in that." He says stubbornly.

" I should've known though that she was going to do this."

" Stop doing this to yourself Henrietta."

" For god's sakes dad! Stop calling me Henrietta!" I shout. That shut my dad up.

He tries to say something but I continue, " Just please go. I just want to be alone. Ok?Just leave me alone!"

He says nothing. He gives me this sad look before he turns and leaves the ward. When he does step out of the place, I start crying. It wasn't loud and hard. It's too painful to do so but, I just want to break down right now.

It hasn't been twenty minutes and people are trying to get me to do what I have to do. I have enough of people telling me what I should do for today. All I want to do is just cry out of pain. And out of sadness.

I want so much to correct people, but I paid for being myself. I never realized how being myself got me into so much trouble.

* * *

 **Sorry I haven't posted a bit. Trying to balance out the stories.**

 **I am trying to figure out how to reveal Hiccup's secret to the rest of the gang and to outright admit that she is a he. I thought I had it down, but it just seems a bit too sad for me. I want it to be tough, but not too much.**

 **Please Review.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Offer

Olson's POV

As a detective, your job is to solve crime and make sure that the person who has committed the crime is behind bars where they belong. No exceptions. Unfortunately, that has't worked well when it comes to prosecuting children of rich or powerful parents. Either the parent's influence or money gets them off completely or they will have a joke of a plea deal that gets them off as best as possible.

This is why I am determined to prosecute Dagny Osvin. She knows that the world can bow to her feet in an instant. She has been in trouble before but she was able to get away with everything thanks to her father's influence as mayor and her team of expert lawyers that are hired just for her.

Haddock's case was nothing short of heinous. This time Osvin has pushed the edge and brutally assaulted the girl to the point she is being hospitalized for the injuries that will result in permanent damage. I am not letting her get away with this one.

Luckily, Henrietta was able to give us the location of the house. It was long before my colleagues started finding evidence like a candy store including the girl's broken glasses and the desperate attempt of getting rid a lot of her blood in the basement unsuccessfully.

The girl, Gina Matheson, who lives in the house comes into the police station with her mother. She looks to be a freshman and very very scared. She really doesn't want to get into trouble. Hopefully I can use her fear to my advantage.

Gina, her mother, and I go into the private room with a table, three chairs, and a two way mirror on the wall so the rest of police force can watch.

I sit in the chair across from them and start, " Do you know why you're here Gina?"

" Is is because of Hiccup?" She meekly says before denying immediately. " I didn't have anything to do with it!"

" Your handprints were on the blood covered sponge with bleach beside it. You were trying to cover up what happened down and you know what happened down there." I tell her.

" Gina…" Her mother gasps at her daughter.

" I swear! I didn't hurt her!" She says as she starts crying. " I would never hurt her! She was only trying to help me!"

" She?" I ask her.

" Hiccup." She gulps through her tears. " A friend of mine slapped for saying something stupid. She defended me and embarrassed her in front of the entire school. Well it obviously made my friend mad."

" Enough to hurt her?" I ask her.

" I can't." She shakes her head in fear. " I can't rat on her. She'll kill me!"

" I won't let that happen to you." Her mother says. " Not while I'm alive!"

" She won't kill you if she's arrested and put in jail." I assure her.

" You don't know her. She has gotten away with everything." Gina says denying it. Even her mom doesn't know how to handle this.

I maintain my cool," I do know her. I just need you to confirm it. There is evidence this time. However, unless you can tell me who else was involved, it's you that's going to be charged with assault in the first degree."

" What!?" She says in surprise. " I! I can't go to jail!"

Her mother pipes up as well, " You're not going to charge with something she didn't do!?"

" I'm sorry Mrs. Matheson. I can as long as there is evidence against her and she doesn't give me names of those involved. Gine. you can go jail for this alone unless you cooperate with the police. If you don't name of all the members who were involved the attack, you will most likely be found guilty of assault in the first degree. Do you know what that means for you?" I ask her.

Gina says meekly, " I will go to jail."

" For a long time. The minimum of assault in the first degree here in this state, Gina, is ten years. Maximum twenty-five years. Not to mention you will have this on your record for the rest of your life." I tell her the punishment.

" Oh god! No!" Her mother screams as she hugs her daughter. " Not my baby! Don't take my baby!"

" Twenty-five years!?" She yells as she starts crying again. " I didn't do anything! I swear! I didn't hurt her! I just only reluctantly let the person who did use my house to do what she wanted. She said if I didn't, I would be next! I never meant for this to happen! Please don't send me to jail for this!" She begs.

I knew I shouldn't have been this harsh on her, but I need to get her to name names. Even if it means making her cry.

I gently continue, " This doesn't have to be the case. I can't let you off the hook for this Gina, but I can help as best as we can. The police are willing to give you a plea deal and police protection detail in exchange for your testimony. You plea to reckless endangerment in the second degree, you will serve no jail time and your record will be exonerated when you turn 18." I explain the terms. "That's the best I can do for you."

Her mother looks at her in pleading manner and says, " Gina. Take the deal. I beg you. Don't go down for something like this."

Gina looks at me in reluctance and nods through her tears, " Alright. I'll take the deal. I'll tell you who was involved including the ring leader."

" Good. That's what I want to hear. Now I need the names." I ask of her as I push a pad of paper and a pen over to her. I can't help but smile when I see her write down the names. Especially the one that I look forward to finally getting.

* * *

I walk up the driveway of the Osvin Estate. The house was huge and grand like. The man who owns it and nice and considerate. However, I am happy to be here for an entirely different reason.

I ring the doorbell and the door opens to find the mayor. A tall man with graying black hair along with a beard to go with his grey suit.

" Detective Olson?" He says in surprise. " I thought the matter was settled."

" I'm afraid this is a new manner. I'm here to arrest Dagny." I tell him.

" For what this time?" He asks in new shock.

" For the assault of Henrietta Haddock in the first degree." I tell him. " Now where is your daughter? You can't hide her."

" Henrietta?! Stoick's child!?" He gasps.

" Yes." I tell him. Even though I despise his daughter, I genuinely feel bad for the man who is her father and a father to this town.

" Dagny. Come down here. Olson is here." He calls.

It was long until I see her red hair and evil like grin. " Olson. Are you here to clear up the misunderstanding?" She smirks.

I smirk back to her as I grab the snake by the arm as I proceed to get my handcuffs from my belt.

" Hey?!" She screams as I handcuffed her and lead her to my car. " What do you think you're doing to me?!"

" Dagny Osvin. You are under arrest for the assault of Henrietta Haddock in the first degree. You have the right to remain silent. You also have the right to appoint an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney then one will be appointed to you in a court of law." I said her her rights.

" You cannot do this to me! My dad will have you fired as soon as I get off!" She yells then she yells to her father. " Get the lawyers!"

I shove her the back of the cop car with the determination to make sure she is not getting away with this.

* * *

 **I decided to do a cop side to the story because it needed a change in view. Sorry I wasn't able to update for a little bit. I have so much to do including getting back into school routine and getting used to freezing weather where I'm at.**

 **I will refocus the story back to Hiccup next chapter. Things should start to pick up a bit from now on.**

 **Please Review and see you later. Also check out my other stories that were recently updated.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Warning. Emotional Chapter. Have tissue on hand.**

* * *

Chapter 19: The truth

Hiccup's POV

I have been in the hospital for about two days and I am already itching to get out of this place. Even though I am suppose to be here for the next week or two to recover from the surgery. As for the idea of going back to my everyday life. That is going to depend on how bad my injuries are and how well I recover from it in the first place. At best, it will be a few months. Worse case, it will be years or permanent.

I never did like hospitals. It has been ingrained into my head the whole idea of being in a place that serves bad food and the antiseptic smell that waves in the air. The only good thing though is that I have been moved out of the ICU today into a regular hospital room. Which means I am not being constantly checked over by probing nurses.

My dad hasn't really talked to me ever since I yelled at him to leave me alone. He still refuses to leave my bedside, but it's more restraint. He talks to me whenever he wants to make sure I'm alright or if I needed anything. Even Gobber can detect this restraint.

The doctor has examined eye and my eardrum that been damaged by the repeated blows to my head. She says that I'm lucky enough that the damage to them will not be permanent and should be fine eventually.

My leg is different story though. It hurts. A lot. It's also in this contraption with pins sticking out from the calf and foot cast in various areas. My leg has something that is called a compound fracture where it has broken through the skin and exposed to extreme possibilities of infection. As if it can't get bad enough.

My father and Dr. Arnold are talking to each other while I listen in on what the plans are going to be in terms of my leg and how they are going to approach this.

" The surgery we previously done on your daughter has shone she has multiple microfractures in her tibia. She will need reconstructive surgery in order to make those mends." Dr. Arnold explains

" I see." My father says with his brow furrowed.

She continues, " A surgery like this is no small task. It's a risky procedure. It can result in blood clots. Nerve and blood vessel injuries. Scarring and especially infection. Infection is the big one we have to look out for in these cases."

" What happens if I don't receive surgery?" I ask her as I am still processing the whole idea of going under the knife.

" Your leg will most likely have permanent damage." She tells me.

" She will have the surgery." My father deems. Again. I don't like that he is making the calls in front of me. Though I was going to say that I was going to have the surgery.

" Alright. We scheduled her for surgery in about a month or two. I want her to be as strong as possible in the window of opportunity we have. I will see you later." She says before she walks out of my room. Leaving me alone once again with my dad and this silent room.

* * *

It wasn't at an hour later that I hear a knock on my room door to find standing in the doorway. What is she doing here?

" Hello. May I come in?" She asks in a friendly manner.

" Um...yeah.." I say.

" Who are you?" My father asks her.

" I'm Ms. Briggs. I'm a school counselor. I have been working with your daughter for the past couple of weeks. I wanted to see if I can talk to her." She says to my father. Hopefully he will send her away. I don't want to talk to her.

" Very well, but don't upset her. She's been through a lot." He warns her. She nods as she comes in and sits on the chair beside my bed.

" Um… I'm going.. to get something. Do you need anything? Anything at all?" My dad asks once again.

I was going to say nothing, but a thought came to my mind suddenly and I say to him, "Toothless."

" Well…. I can try." He says before he leaves.

Me and Ms. Briggs say nothing at first. I don't know how to feel about her being here in my hospital and she probably feels the same way. Yet, here we are.

Finally she says something, " How are you?" She asks.

All I can say is, " I feel like crap."

" That's understandable."

" I deserved it." I say the first thing that comes to my head. I thought she was going to tell me that it wasn't my fault like the rest of them.  
However, I got this instead, " What did you do to make yourself feel like you deserved it?"

I don't know how to handle this question. I never thought about that before, yet I have so many times. I don't know how to feel about this.

All I respond was," I… I… I made the biggest mistake of my life."

" We all made mistakes." She tells me.

" But nothing like this." I say to her out of emotion. " No one knows how I feel. No gets what I go through."

" Well I want to know." She says.

" You shouldn't." I tell her.

" Tell me anyway." She calmly says.

" All I was suppose to do was keep my head down and pretend that I'm nothing. That I'm just someone that isn't looking for trouble. I've done that my whole life. Yet people keep telling me to come out of my shell. It's ok. We don't bite. I finally do it and I screwed everything up in one night!" I say as I feel myself tear up.

" What did you do that made you feel like you screwed up?" She asks me in a hush.

I thought about when I told off Dagny, but that was only part of what led up to what did happen to me. The real truth was harder.

" Being myself." I say.

" Being yourself isn't a bad thing." She tells me.

" It is if you're me." I tell her.

" Henrietta. I need to know what you mean. You can tell me."

I blink tears out my eyes and I shake my head. She can't know. My heart is pounding intensely with what I feel is my secret. I can't let her know.

" I can't." I respond.

" It's ok."

" It's not ok if you're trans!" I scream. Then everything is halted to a silence. I breath heavily through my tears as I felt like I have screwed myself over once again to the world. She knows! She knows!

But when I look at Ms. Briggs. She wasn't mad. Not even shock. Not in the way that she was expecting it, but in the way that news like this didn't affect her.

" That still doesn't give anyone the right to do what they did to you." She tells me.

" It does!" I scream. " My mother knew and said that everything was going to be alright! That things were going to get better now that I told her! We were going to tell Dad together when she got back from her business trip and you know what?! Her plane crashed the next day and she died! She left me alone to deal with it! You say that I don't deserve it! When everything bad seems to happen every time I thought was safe to be myself. Being myself has done nothing, but got me into trouble along with everyone else!"

" You've been in so much pain haven't you?" She starts. " You try to keep things inside you and think that the only solution to your whole life is to not let people in and know who are. I know how that feels."

" No you don't." I tell her.

She sighs, " Not exactly but, when I was your age I had struggles with parental alcohol abuse. Everyday it was coming home to my father screaming at my mother. And her screaming back. If I got one thing wrong, I was told that I was nothing but trouble. The worst one is being the idea that I was going to end up like them. The emotion abuse made me hostile to my peers and made me feel unwanted to the world. I would look in the mirror and feel like I shouldn't be alive. It was a childhood that I never wanted to have."

I never thought of her like that. I thought she was someone who had it easy and only wanted to help people because it was her job. But all along she was doing it because she too had felt emotional pain and burden in her life.

She continues, " The reason why I wanted to work with all of my students, especially you, is because everyone of you deserves to be heard. Deserves a life and deserves to be happy. The violence that is inflicted on you by someone else is sometimes hard. Sometimes petty. You know that. But the real pain. The pain that destroys is the one that the one we do to ourselves."

I never thought about that before. I thought the worst pain that I was suffering was what Dagny had done to me and the evidence is obviously shone by my current physical state. However, what Ms. Briggs has just said made me realize that I was inflicting the true pain onto myself.

" Whether you are a boy or a girl is up to you. No one else. You didn't deserve the attack. You never did and your mom would want you to be happy instead of making yourself hurt." She says as she takes my hand and grips it in an understanding way.

I say nothing as I look towards the window to see the clear blue sky and suddenly realize how much lighter I feel without the burden of my secret to trap me anymore.

I am not Henrietta. I might be a Henry, but I don't know. But I do know is that I can't pretend that I am girl. I have be the man that I know I have always been

* * *

 **Very emotional chapter. I have just written this all of a sudden and now I am still recovering from this tearful experience. This is just far too much like the time I had a breakdown with my therapist. Well more than once. Just the feeling of letting go such a big burden of pain is bad, but afterward I feel stronger than ever. I took a bit out of a good show called Sense8 when Nomi explains the true meaning of violence to her friend.**

 **Please don't hate me for making you cry. It was hard writing this chapter and I know it has to be now or never with this one.**

 **Please Review and see you next chapter.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Hate Crime.

Schaefer's POV

I have to say it was really refreshing to see Dagny back here in court. Hopefully this time, she won't get away with this.

" The people vs. Dagny Osvin. How does the defendant plea?" The judge asks officially.

" Not Guilty. Your Honor." Her lawyer smirks. " Miss. Osvin has no prior convictions and is a juvenile. This is a joke to charge her as an adult given that she is under the age of eighteen. We're asking for dismissal."

My friend, Tanner, who is the prosecutor in this case snorts, " This is the fifth time Miss. Osvin has been here in court for not just charges, but violent ones. Which I will mention, have been dismissed previously due to recantation from the victims and lack of evidence. This time however we have the evidence, the victim's account of what happened and a witness to corroborate what has happened. The victim sustained injuries including a internal injuries, facial damage, and a permanent leg injury. Miss. Osvin is a danger to society and should be in remanded to Outcast jail facility."

" Your 'witness' is testifying because of the deal you made her in exchange for Miss. Osvin. She would be charged with the same crime if it weren't for the deal. Especially since the attack happened in the witness' home. That _really_ makes her _innocent_. Plus, the victim is near-sight and has lost her glasses during the alleged attack, there's a possibility that she might have had trouble identifying her assailants. Plus the police and the prosecution have a thing against for charging her with so much crimes because of her father's influence to this community and this so called notion that she can do whatever she wants. It's possible that they were the ones that might have influenced the victim to _remember_ Miss. Osvin." I hear Dagny's lawyer argue.

I can't believe that woman! I hate that she just argued that. I can't let the judge throw out another case. There has be something for this case to hold this time.

Then I remembered something and I rush over to my friend and whisper in his ear what I wanted her to hear. He smiles and thanks me before he turns his attention back to the judge.

" Your Honor." Tanner starts. " Officer Schaefer has assured me that no one influenced the victim when it came to identifying her attacker. No one fed her the defendant's name. She did that herself. She identified Miss. Osvin before they even mentioned her previous records. Also he remembers that she testifies that a phone camera was present during the assault. I believe Dagny has something to do with that. I want a warrant for Miss. Osvin's phone immediately. "

I look over to Dagny and see her face fall from a smirk to a downright anger. I smile at him in response.

" Your honor. This is an invasion of her privacy. It's unconstitutional." Her lawyer argues.

" Now that Dagny knows we want her phone, it will highly likely that she will wipe the phone clean when she leaves. I just want a look at her phone for a few minutes. If there isn't any footage, no harm done. If there is it will become evidence." He says.

" No way am I giving you my phone." She says.

" Control your client Ms. Delson." The judge says." The defendant will hand over the phone to the bailiff." The Judge determines.

" What if I don't want to?" She sharply says.

" Then you will be held in contempt and you will still give your phone to the court." The judge warns her before he repeats. " The defendant will hand over the phone."

The bailiff comes over and I watch as Dagny shakingly puts her hand in her pocket and pulls out her smartphone before handing it to the prosecutor. I take a deep breath as I see the phone handed to Tanner and he starts searching through the phone for the golden ticket.

He looks up with an award winning smile on his face and walks over to the judge.

" I believe this is what you're looking for." He says.

The Judge looks up at Dagny sternly and nods before motioning an officer in the courtroom to have the phone bagged and sent to evidence.

He sits back on his chair and says the golden words, " I will see the video at trial."

"Yes! We finally got a trial!" I scream in my head and barely contain from throwing out an outburst of joy. I look over to my prosecutor friend and I see he is very pleased at the news as well.

The judge continues," Bail is set at 500,000. Trial will begin as soon as the victim is able to testify in court. If the defendant posts bail before trial, she will be under house arrest and on an electronic anklet along with a ban on her using any social media websites. That means Miss. Osvin, you are not allowed off of your property or to use any forms of electronic communication. Let alone to get near the victim or any witnesses. You leave your property or disobey the terms, you will be held without remand for contempt until trial. This meeting is adjourned. Bailiff. Escort Miss. Osvin to the holding cell where she will be transferred to Outcast Prison where she will remain until trial or her bail is posted."

I sigh as Dagny gets lead away in anger. I can't get everything I want, but finally we have a trial against her.

I walk over to Tanner to thank him for what he's done.

" Thank you." I say to him gratefully.

" This is only half the battle." He says before ordering. " I want police protection detail on both Gina and Henrietta. I am not taking risks if Dagny is let out on bail."

" No question." I agree. " We have to keep the girls safe."

Tanner takes a sharp breath in response which is weird to me. He usually does that if he wants to correct me.

" What is it?" I ask him.

" Well. During the time I was looking through the phone for the video and I may have found somethings that should help this case even more."

" Really?" I ask him interested in what he has found.

" Turns out we might be able to apply a Hate Crime statute onto the current assault charge." He says. "However. That depends if the defendant is willing to do it."

" What do you mean Hate Crime?" I ask in confusion. That statute is usually used if the attack was motivated by inflicting harm against a group of people. Henrietta's attack seems more individual motivation.

" I think there is something more Henrietta than we originally thought." He says. " However, if the defendant agrees, we are opening ourselves for shark season."

* * *

 **Short Chapter. I know and I felt I needed like a court scene. This is getting to be like one of those Law and Order shows. I don't know whether or not that I like it.**

 **I promise next chapter, I will delve more into the whole thing of coming out. I promise that I will do a longer chapter. Please forgive me. I have received another wrist injury yesterday. It's throwing me off a bit, but the creativity still lives. Along with my boredom.**

 **Please Review. See you later.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Give Me Patience.

Gobber's POV

The room is silent. No one says anything. I look at Hiccup and her… well I mean him. Well... I honestly don't know what to call the teen that I have watched grow up from the start. Anyway his face says it all of how she's feeling.

Stoick was shaking in emotional turmoil. He doesn't know how to register all of this and I'm worried for him. I'm worried for both of them.

" It's not possible." He says a bit beyond a whisper.

" It is dad." Hiccup says. " I'm a boy. On the inside."

" No you're not." He denies. " You're my daughter. You have always been my daughter. Nothing says otherwise."

" I never liked swimming because of how naked I feel. I dress in baggy clothes because I was never comfortable with my body." Hiccup argues.

When she or he mentioned those points, I suddenly realize how their strange behavior was finally starting to make sense. The hostility. How she never wanted anything to do with being a female. The fact that she would find ways out of the swimming unit during gym. I thought she was having issues like any other teen and was a tomboy.

" This is just a phase you're going through." Stoick says. " Nothing more."

" I cut my own hair because I was sick and tired of looking like somebody else. I've always felt like this my entire life. I'm not who you think I am." Hiccup says.

" As much I wish you didn't cut your hair, it grows back. It's doesn't prove anything."

" I've been taking hormone blockers dad. I've been taking them for a few months before mom died. I only got back on them for a few weeks before the attack happened, because I didn't want to go through female puberty anymore. " Hiccup confesses.

" You have not been on hormone blockers. I would know about the prescription if you were because a parent needs to sign off on them." He argues.

" Well. I lied to you about the birth control. I was never on them."

" What?!" He yells. " Of all the things you have done, you lied about your drug use! How did you even get a prescription?! Did you forge my signature!?"

" No I didn't. Mom signed for them two years ago. It's on the form." She says.

" No. She didn't. You must have forged her signature. I can't believe you would do something this reckless! Henrietta!"

" Stoick take it down a bit." I warn him. I don't want him to say anything he will regret in the future.

Nevertheless, he keeps yelling. " I don't even know even who you are anymore!"

" You refused to know me!" Hiccup yells back. " I can't have a conversation with you anymore without you not hearing me."

" You don't think I hear you!?" He yells. " I cared about you ever since you were born. You almost dying scared me! Yet you claim that I don't hear you!"

" Yes!"

" I have always been trying to do what is best for you. This nonsense has gone on far enough. I am taking action." He says.

Hiccup turns pale in reaction.

" What are you going to do?" he asks

" When I get home, I am going to find those pills you've been popping behind my back and flushing them down the toilet and I am canceling the prescription." He says.

" No! Please! Don't do this to me!" he yells.

" I know you will hate me now, but you will thank me later." He says before storming out of the room.

" No!" Hiccup screams and starts bawling. " Why is everyone doing this to me!?"

When I see the look on her face, I see devastation and torment. This is not the person I want to see. I want Hiccup to be happy. Everybody deserves to be happy. Even if people don't understand what a person needs in order to be happy.

I rush out of the room and go after my friend.

" Stoick!" I shout. He stops in the middle of the hallway and I finally catch up to him. However, when I look in his face. I see a rarity from him. I see tears from his cold eyes.

" Stoick…" I start but he cuts me off.

" I don't understand. Have I done something wrong with raising her?" He asks above a whisper.

" Not every parent is perfect." I tell him. " You've tried to raise your child as best as you could."

" But it wasn't enough. Gods know how difficult it is to do what's best for my daughter." He says.

I sigh. I can understand what he's going through.

" Stoick. You know the story of me and my parents before I entered the army?" I ask him.

" Yes. They kicked you out for being gay. It's not the same thing though." He says.

" This is exactly the same thing. Being gay is who I am. No one foresaw me being gay with me traditional upbringing and I still came out gay. My parents just never could see anything past that and I wished they had. Even though I didn't get their acceptance, I'm happy that I am able to live a life where I can be who I am. Believe me, it's better than playing pretend for everyone else. And I can't imagine how long Henrietta has been trying to hide this. At least this is now out in the open."

" Your sexuality is one thing Gobber. My daughter's gender identity is another matter." He argues.

" It's still the same thing. I know this is hard for you to handle. Things haven't easy for the both of you since Valka died. But at this point, you have two choices. You can either deny this and end up causing more damage for both of you in the future. Just like my parents. The other option is to try."

" Try?" He says.

" Try to understand your kid. Try to mend your relationship. Try to make an effort. You don't need to fully accept this, but for the very least you should give it time before you do anything else. Especially now.

Stoick says nothing as he gets up from his chair and walks down the hallway. This time, I don't stop him. If he's made a decision, then I can't make him change it. No matter what decision he has made.

* * *

Hiccup's POV.

I should have know that my father was going to react like this. He's stubborn. He doesn't want to listen. Even If I tell him like a million times, he still won't have any of it.

" Come on lad. You need to eat." Gobber urges me. " You need something on toothpick of your body and your father wouldn't want you to starve."

" What he wants is not my concern. What's the point in pleasing him? He's never going to understand." I scoff as I push away my food tray. I then hear something familiar coming towards my room door.

" No way." I say in response. "It can be."

Even Gobber is taking notice to the noise and he smiles mischievously.

" I think it might be." He says.

The noise becomes more evident as it gets closer and is accompanied by a low bark that only one thing can make that kind of a bark.

My room door opens and Toothless races towards me in excitement and is running laps around and under my hospital bed.

" Toothless!" I scream in shock and happiness. Tears even come to my eyes. I don't care though. I never thought I would be this happy to be with my favorite dog again after what has happened.

Toothless finally stops running after a bit and comes towards my hand that I am hanging over the edge on my bed. Normally he would jump on my bed, but he's a smart dog. He can tell I'm hurt and knows exactly what to do. I reach out and pet him behind the ears.

I look up and see my dad by the door holding the Toothless' leash. Even though I'm glad that he brought my dog, I'm still upset with him.

He comes up with a solemn look on his face. I have never seen him with that kind of face before.

" Look." He starts. " I don't understand this." He gestures to me. " But…." He sighs. " I realized that this is going to take some time to figure this out and eventually accept your decisions on these things. I will let you do what you feel is right for you as long as we're not breaking any laws here. I will also try to be patient and try to understand your choices. I just only ask that you will try to be patient to me."

I can't believe he said that to me. He never says anything like that to me. I didn't know he would be capable of saying that, but I can tell it took him a lot of effort.

" Of course dad." I respond. " It's difficult. It isn't easy. Nothing's easy. Guess easy doesn't run in our family."

I see him actually smile at me as he says, " It never has." It's the first time I have seen him smile at me like that in a long time

I smile at him for the first time in a long time.

* * *

 **Another big chapter and character development. I thought that it was time for the reveal to Stoick and Gobber. I decided to do the whole thing on Gobber being gay in order to help his friend try to understand the child he raised.**

 **I haven't forgotten Astrid. She will be brought in most likely the next chapter or the chapter after that. I just have to get through some of the arcs in the story to continue along the lines of what I want to accomplish. Let me tell you there will be some surprises.**

 **Have a good weekend. Meanwhile. I will be working a long ass shift.**

 **Please Review and See you later.**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Astrid.

Hiccup's POV

My dad and Gobber decided to head home for the night despite the fact they wanted to stay with me in the hospital. I told them it wasn't necessary and that they need at least some sleep.

Even though I was technically alone in my hospital room, I still have my dog sleeping on the floor beside my hospital bed. I know that as long he's here with me, I feel safe from anyone and anything.

I flip through the channels on the tv with the remote. Nothing much on besides the news. It especially didn't help that I found out today that Dagny posted bail and has moved back in with her family. Not only it's not comfortable that she's out on bail, It's driving actually me crazy thinking about what she could do now that she's no longer in police custody.

My father though was absolutely certain that he wants a body guard with me at all times. Unfortunately, the police and the guy prosecuting my case agreed. I now have a guard outside my room at this very moment. He seems nice, but very stern and doesn't talk much.

" Dad. How long will this guy be here?" I asked him about it earlier in the day.

" Until the trial is over and you are safe." He says.

I get his need and his worry on protecting me, but come on. I don't want to be followed by some guy for who knows how long. It's creepy and very annoying. Plus I have to explain to people that I'm a victim and this is my guard. Looks like the normal life is never going to be meant for me. Then again it never was.

I hear a door knock and I look up at the door before it opens. It's Astrid.

I haven't seen her that much since I woke up from that night. It's been at least a week from how I have been counting. I really don't want to be in this hospital for much longer. But the pain doesn't help.

" Hey." I greeted her.

" Hey." She says quietly as she walks over to me and sits by my bed.

Toothless perks up and goes over to her so she can pet. Which she does gently.

Neither of us talk for a bit. From what I can tell from the look on her her face. She seems pretty sad. I really don't want her to blame herself for what happened.

" So how are doing?" She asks.

" I'm good as it gets." I answered. " The doctor says I have to have another leg surgery to see if they can be able to do extensive repairs."

" Oh." She says. " How long will t take for your to recover."

" It depends. Hopefully within six months. At least that's what Dr. Arnold says." I answered.

She sighs. " I should never had brought you to the dance."

" What?" I say. She is blaming herself. " It's not your fault. I wanted to go."

" I lost you and I let you get hurt." She argues.

" No you didn't." I stand my ground. " If anything, you helped me live."

Astrid and both stop talking right there. I can't believe I just said that. Of all the things to says. I said the most cheesy thing ever.

" You really think that?" She asks.

Gods. I might as well be honest than than to lie and cover this up.

" Yes." I said. " You gave me courage to go to the dance. I would never had done that if it weren't for you."

Astrid says nothing. I can see is conflicting about what to say about it.

" Look. It was no one's fault but Dagny's and her friends. They were the ones who did this to me. Not you." I say to her.

" I know. I just…. can't help with happened." She says in frustration.

" Even with the attack, I had a lot of fun at the dance and it was fun dancing…. with you." I say cautiously.

She stops looking guilty and looks at me in dumbfound which makes me even more uncomfortable with what is stuck in my throat at the moment.

I knew it's high time that I told Astrid the truth. Even though I wish I didn't have to. I don't want to lose my friend over the fact that I'm a freak to her.

" Astrid. There's something I need to tell you. Please don't freak when I tell you this." I say to her.

" I know you're a transgender male if that's what you're trying to tell me." She says.

" What!?" I think frantically. " Who told her!? Did my dad or Gobber tell her!? I told them that I needed to be the one to tell her!"

Nevertheless, I try to keep my response neutral.

" So you knew?" I ask her skeptically. She nods. " How?"

" I saw your prescription bottle in the bathroom." She admits.

" Oh." I can only say. Man I should've hidden that better.

I look down at Toothless. Who looks up me before sneezing and going back to his resting position. Not even caring about what's going on right now.

" I didn't say though. Because I just didn't want to hurt you." She finally says.

" I didn't want anyone to know because I was afraid of being rejected or what happened to me already. I didn't want you to know especially because…. I thought you wouldn't like me anymore. It's bad enough being an outsider and not having really much people to depend. When you started taking notice of me, I was shocked. I didn't think would like someone like me. " I decide on.

" Of course I still like you. I always liked you a lot Hiccup. When I was little I used to be really jealous of you. Besides a few instances, your parents didn't care what you did. You got to be someone you wanted to be. My parents try to make me as perfect as possible like wind up doll every single day. Told me I couldn't do this or that because it was very unlady like. Then being strict on me by forcing me to get A's in classes and being on sports teams. I like being sports teams, but my parents are tiger parents. I feel like I practically have no life." She says.

"You're kidding me?" I say frowning. " I would hate them for doing that. I didn't have things easy on my end. My parents tried to get me to wear a dress on picture days. It was so bad. It finally took them a bit to back off and let me be. But my dad up until this point would buy me some awful dress and try to get me act like my mom because I look like her. Plus he would drop not so subtle hints for me to go to business school like her. I honestly want to be an artist or an engineer."

We both laugh in response. Well me just chuckle because of my injured ribs, but still. Even with me being a transgender male, Astrid and I are not that much different. We have our own issues with life.

" Hiccup." She starts. " I don't care what gender you are. Of all people in my life, you're the genuine person I have ever met. And I…"

She doesn't finish, but I see her blush in response. I usually do that whenever I try talking to her. I never seen it happen to her. She's usually tough.

Neither of us say anything after that.

It was until Toothless starts barking that gets our attention.

" What is it bud?" I ask him.

He gives me the look that he needs to go now.

" Uh… Astrid. Can you take him out for me?" I ask her awkwardly. " I'm a bit tangled up and he looks like he's gonna blow."

She chuckles, " Sure."

I watch her leave my room. So much has changed in such a short amount of time. I can't believe that I can now be honest with people and feel like I don't have to hide my true identity anymore. I can just be myself and I can be myself with Astrid.

Unfortunately though, this is now only half the battle.

* * *

 **Sorry it took me a bit to update. I just got caught up in many things. Including class work and my other fanfic stories. Along with starting my first original novel!**

 **I don't know what I'm going to do after I finish it. For now, it's a serious working progress. Years ago I never thought I would be able to do an original story. I guess fanfiction and hearing from every one of you giving me advice has helped up to this point where I am able to start creating original products at this point. So thank you all for allowing me to come such a long ways. It's going to be called Humanity's Desire. Well for at least now. It's a working title.**

 **I have placed the story summary in my profile just now. So check it out and PM me of what you think of the idea.**

 **Please Review and see you all next time.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Step by Step

Hiccup's POV

It's been at least six weeks since what has happened and things have been weird as of late. Well for one thing, I have been now discharged from the hospital. Although it's not much more freedom though when I was there.

I'm practically on strict bed rest to give myself time to heal from my surgeries. My ribs are healing just fine. I can at least be able to sit upright. It's my leg that has been the most difficult to recover from.

I no longer have pins and screws coming out of this cage like device out of my leg, but it's still in a cast and I can't feel much in the leg. Dr. Arnold is concerned about how much function I will be able to retain after recovery. Especially since the surgery almost went wrong.

One of the surgeons in my operation almost cut one of my main nerves and damaged a major muscle in my calf. A part of the muscle had to be removed since it was dead. She says I was lucky enough not to have my leg amputated. That was how bad it was. Because of this, I will most likely be on a cane for who knows when.

I have been discharged for about two weeks during which I spent in bed. Luckily I was able to kill most of the time on working on my drawings for the art showcase.

Right now I'm laying in bed with my casted leg prompted up by a pillow. I'm just finishing up my newest drawing for the showcase that's in a month when I hear a knock on my bedroom door.

" Come in." I say still focused on perfecting my drawing.

It's my dad. I adjust my newly replaced glasses on my face and set the drawing aside.

" Um… hey." He says as he comes in. " How are you doing?"

" Fine dad." I shrug.

" Um… Well… We have that appointment today… At that clinic. Are you sure you want to go?" He asks.

" Well…. It's been a while since I was there. I figured that I need to go sooner or later. The question is whether you want to go?" I ask him.

My dad sighs. He's still trying to register the fact that I'm a transgender male. I get that he still needs time. He doesn't even know what to call me. We never had this conversation.

I honestly never thought about being called a different name. I never liked Henrietta, but I never discussed about a new name. Neither did my dad. We just left that open ended.

" Look. I think you should come along dad. The doctor at the clinic can help you out with some information about me and I haven't been there in a while. I want to go there."

" Fair enough." He says as I put the sketch pad away and lift my leg off the bed gently to the ground.

He gives me my crutches and I stand up against them as I hobbled out of my room with my dad following behind.

The drive to the clinic wasn't long. About twenty minutes, but it feels like an eternity given that fact my dad and don't talk to each other throughout the entire ride there.

We finally reach the place. The Grace Herman Clinic for Gender Identity Disorders.

While I didn't hesitate to enter the place, my dad is another story. He slowly lagged behind as though he was some kid who knows he's about to get a shot.

The receptionist who greets us is a transgender woman named Samara. The same woman who saw me from when I was twelve with my mom.

" Hey!" She waves in enthusiasm. " Nice seeing you here again. I was worried you were in some brainwashing reformation prison."

" No. I'm fine. Just got caught in a lot of events." I tell her honestly. This is my dad." I gesture to him who looks a little uncomfortable about her.

Samara sees it," Don't worry. Regardless of gender, they always find trouble. My son is straight as an arrow and I had to bust him for having a mouth."

My dad relaxes a bit.

" Well. I'll page Dr. Reynolds. He'll be out in a few minutes. Why don't you two sit in the waiting area."

I didn't hesitate because of my crutches digging into my arms, so I sat down. My father sits beside me and we still don't talk to each other.

I finally can't take it anymore and say to him, " Dad. I know you say that I need to be patient with you, but I can't be patient if we can't even talk to each other."

" Look. It's hard. Alright." He says gruffly. " I never been associated with people like you. I honestly don't know how I am able to handle losing a daughter."

I look down at the floor. It's not that I don't understand how he feels, but he keeps acting like he's losing me. He isn't. He's…. I don't even know how to describe this."

Finally a door opens to reveal a guy wearing jeans and a t-shirt under a gray blazer with his long curly brown hair in a ponytail. He doesn't look like a doctor, but he is and he's the guy who runs this clinic.

" Hi. I'm Dr. Reynolds." The doctor introduces in a friendly manner to my dad. " I run this clinic."

" Stoick Haddock." My dad gruffly says as the two men shake hands.

" I'm glad to see you back here." He smiles at me. " It's been a while. I'm sorry about your mother."

" It's alright." I tell him.

" Why don't we enter my office?" He suggests. We both nod and follow him to his office. Which looks more like doctor's office with degrees behind his desk on the walls.

Dr. Reynolds sits down behind his desk and looks at us. " Well. We got a lot to catch up on. Haven't we?"

" Look this is new to me. I'm still trying to understand my child. Especially when she..uhh..sorry.." My dad is trying to say.

" It's alright Mr. Haddock. A lot of parents have gone through these situations with their children before. It's new territory for you. It's completely understandable.

" Yes." He frowns. " Yes it is."

" Transgender is definitely something that people have trouble understanding. Half the battle is wanting to understand. Which luckily, you have overcome at this point. It's only a matter of getting the right information and having some support."

My dad nods in response. This is a good sign.

" When a baby is born, we usually tend to identify the child based on the sex they born as as their gender. Their brain usually will function to their personality and how they identify themselves as and usually is comfortable with their gender identity as well as their biological sex. In cases with transgender people, there is an imbalance with their hormones from the start that causes them to not identify their gender with their sex. They see themselves as trapped in the wrong body. Imagine if you were born a female Mr. Haddock. How would you feel if people identified you as a female even though you know right now you are male."

" I see." My father says in understand. " Is there a cure or something along those lines." He asks.

I gulp in response.

" It depends on how you see it as a cure. What only is the true cure to being transgender is allowing the person to transition their natural sex as best as possible to their gender identity. If you're expecting to regain a daughter, it doesn't work like that. You need to allow Henrietta to become who he wants to be as. A son. Your son."

My father clenches his fist. I can tell he's still troubled by the idea.

He looks up and says, " What do I need to do?"

" Be supportive. Start referring your child to what he wants to be recognized as. I can recommend some groups for parents of transgender children that you can be able to be apart of to make things easier for you."

" So what about me?" I ask him about me.

" At this point, we need to talk about your transitioning plans. Last time we talked, I prescribed your hormone blockers that you only recently got back on after a two year absence. Those pills only stop puberty. They do not help you with progress your transition. Only stall for later actions."

" And what are the later actions?" My dad asks skeptically.

" Well for one thing, I want to consider putting Henrietta on testosterone injections. He seems to be ready for this and it will allow the actual transition to take place. Mind you. There is things that are needed to be talked about when this does happen."

" What happens when my child is on it?"

" Well for one thing, it will stop his female functions automatically and permanently. Then it will slowly start his male puberty. Over time there will be changes that correlate with male puberty. Including his voice lowering, facial hair growing, and muscle mass will built up into a more male pattern. This is part of the transition."

" What about when it comes to the parts….." My father tries to say. "...of being male and female"

Dr. Reynolds sighs, " However, a female to male transition is more tricky than the other way around. Henrietta for now will not be able to reach the same stage of being male as naturally born males in terms of the physical parts. That's what you guys have to understand because we are still looking into this. But it's not those identifying parts that make a person male or female, it's how the person identifies themselves that makes them female or male. Henrietta has always identified himself as being male Mr. Haddock. Not only do we need to accept him, but we need to identify him as as who he wants to be. It's not easy for some people. Especially parents who have raised their children one gender only to find out they are not the gender they are born as. It takes time and effort. But as long as you care about your child regardless of him being who he is to make an effort, it will get easier in the long run."

After a talk about the other procedures that I will most likely go through in the future, my dad and I thank Dr. Reynolds before leaving. We're sitting in the car. Not moving. Figuring out what we should do now that this happened.

My dad lets out a breath as he runs his hand down his face. He's overwhelmed. It's understandable, but I'm worried. Was this even a good idea?

He finally says, " So you're still sure about being a male?"

" Yes." I tell him honestly.

" Right." He says before starting the car. " There's a lot that we need to do. I think we need to start by giving you a new name."

" Really?" I say in surprise. Half of me was sure he was going to pull the plug on this whole thing.

He nods, " I never heard of a boy named Henrietta and I'm pretty sure you don't want to be the first. Well…. that depends whether or not you want to still be Henrietta."

" No I would not." I say and we both chuckle in response as we pull out of the parking lot in direction of home. Guess today was a good day after all.

* * *

 **I hope that I explain things well enough and nothing offensive towards the transgender community. I tried to explain things as best as I could. Tell me if you find some of the information wrong.**

 **Please Review.**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 23: Preparing for trial

Hiccup's POV

" And then her friends kept beating me. Over and over again. That's all I remember before they dragged me out to the car." I say on the stand.

The prosecutor, Tanner, comes up to me and asks, " What about the phone recording of the confession?"

" Oh. Right." I say remembering it suddenly. I let out a breath of frustration " This is ridiculous."

" I get that this is overwhelming you, but you have to remember every single detail. If the Dagny's lawyer hears you slip up once, she will pounce all over you to make sure you are discredited as a witness."

" Witness?" I scoff. " I got almost beaten to death and I'm just a witness to them."

" Look. Their job is to make you look like someone the jury can't rely on. This is the point of a trial. To test both sides of the account and to see who actually has a more believable side of the case. There is no doubt that you were the one assaulted, but Dagny's lawyer is looking to avoid her client's imprisonment. Even if that means finding one thing in your testimony that could change the whole game. Now we need to make sure your case against Dagny with not leave anything to Jurors that will say that there is reasonable doubt. Including your testimony."

" I know, but what about the other evidence?" I ask.

" They can discredit it as much as you in other ways. Which is why we need to ironclad as much as we can in order to make sure nothing can go the other way." Tanner says.

" Right." I sigh in frustration.

" Alright. Now I want to prepare for you being cross-examined. That is going to be the brutal part. I'm going to ask you a few questions that can possibly hurt you in the worst way. This is so we are not going in for a few surprises. You're going to hate me for this."

" Fine." I say.

" So you believe that Dagny's motive for this attack is because you stood up to her" He asks.

" Yes." I answered.

" Nothing else that could possibly be the motive?" He asks.

" No. Not really."

" What about you being transgender?"

" True I am transgender, but I haven't officially came out until after the assault happened on me."

" Even though the phones shows you in suit when this happened?" He asks.

" I went to the homecoming dance as part of a group that was also wearing suits. There was no other reason to suggest it." I say.

" Even though you state you were a trans in the video?" He asks.

" What?" I ask. " I didn't say that!"

" Huh?" Tanner says stopping his crossexamine tone. " Don't you remember it?"

" Remember what?" I ask in confusing.

" What happened after the assault?" He says. Again it makes no sense.

" Oh no." He says. " We have a problem."

" What problem?" I demanded from him.

" If your memory remains questionable. They will pounce all over you. The defense lawyer will have grounds to question your competence." He says in frustration.

" They still need to hear it from me of what happened." I say.

" But putting you on the stand could mean they can and will destroy you. They might end up using you against your case." He says.

" But not putting me on the stand will also mean the same thing. They can argue the refusal of my testimony will show how much of a case we don't have." I argue stubbornly.

The truth really is that I need to testify. If I don't, People will think of me as too afraid to testify against my assailant and I am not about to let Dagny win on that.

He sighs, " You might have a point on that. But we're going to have to make sure that you are prepared as best as we could. Have you watched the video I sent you?"

" Video?" I raised an eyebrow.

" The one I gave to your father. I gave it to him last week for you to watch." He says.

Dad…..

" No." I say. " He didn't give it to me."

Tanner sighs. " Let me get him."

He leaves his office for a second and brings my dad back with him.

" Mr. Haddock." He starts. " I told you when I gave you the video. There was a reason why your son needs to watch it."

" I don't want him to get hurt again." My dad responds.

" Look. I get that you feel you have to protect him, but he needs to know everything. Even the smallest details can be useful and can help him. Even if they do hurt." Tanner says sternly.

My dad sighs but he reluctantly nods.

" He'll watch it tonight." He says.

" Good." Tanner says.

" Excuse me?" I ask. " What is the video?"

Tanner and my dad sighs in response. It doesn't sound good.

" The video is copy of the one that was taken from Dagny's phone. It contains everything of the attack. It's... brutal. But, you need to remember what she has done to you." Tanner says.

" I see…" I say. I don't know if I will be able to handle the video. Reliving everything. I want to be able to handle everything. But I don't know when enough is enough.

* * *

Stoick's POV

I promised Valka that I would look after our child. I always promised her that and I try my best to stay true to it. I just never realised how much I neglected that promised after I lost her those three years ago.

Instead of looking out for my child, I stayed away from him. I kept trying to see the best of his mother, but it hurts. So I stay out far from him by taking on long work days and long business trips.

But where did it get me. Nothing, but a big reality check.

I should have seen the signs from when he was a young child.

I remember that one incidence when he was little and it was my father's birthday. Valka got him a pink dress and he cried when we told him to wear it. Cried during the party until we had to take him home reluctantly. We thought this was a child testing our boundaries at this point, but he was really calling out for help.

And we didn't listen to him. Or I didn't.

We both sit in the car as I drive home after our talk with Tanner. Once again. Neither of us don't say anything at first.

" Dad. Where's the video?" He asks.

I sigh. I really don't want him to see what I saw. Because what I saw in that video was a flash back. I saw the same small child he was screaming. Screaming for help.

" Dad….." He starts. " Please. Let me see the video."

I know how stubborn he's going to get if I don't comply. He's like me. Unfortunately. When both of us have different sides of the manner, we will fight tooth and nail until one of us relents. This time though, I have to submit.

" It's in my desk at home. I'll get for you." I say reluctantly.

" Thank you." He says as I turn into our driveway.

" Just. If you get uncomfortable, you don't have the whole thing through. Even if Tanner wants you to, I won't make you do something that you don't want to do. At least, not again." I say before continuing. "Just… Please promise me to not keep anything from me. If you have a problem or if you want to tell me something, don't hesitate. I've been in the dark for far too long and I don't want that to happen anymore."

He looks away. I can tell this is something he is not used to hearing. Especially from me.

" Alright." He responds.

" Look. I just want us to have a better relationship. Given what's been going on of late. I have never been father of the year, but it doesn't mean that I don't love you." I tell him.

" Well. Um.. Thanks. Dad. I guess the same thing goes for me too. Never exactly been the greatest child either." He says.

" Well at least you're not like Simon. Boy didn't know how to tie his shoes until freshman year. Just like his father." I say about my brother and we both laugh in response.

" Oh gods." He says as he recovered. " Um… dad. I…. kinda wanted to tell you. I got a spot in the annual art showcase at my school. It's.. a pretty big deal."

" Oh." I say. " When did you find out?"

He hesitates but says. " Two weeks before the….attack. The day before you left."

I sigh. I guess missed out on a lot while I was gone.

" Sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you…." He tries to says but I say, " It's alright. But hey. I'm proud of you son."

" Thanks dad." He says.

" Alright tell me about it and don't leave anything out." I sternly tell him.

I think this afternoon marks the first time we actually had a normal conversation in a very long time since Valka's death. I can feel right now that she is smiling down at us from heaven.

* * *

 **First chapter with Stoick's POV. I hope I captured what was going on very well from his point of view.I am currently on an updating binge at the moment. I am going to update most to all of my current stories this week. So I hope you guys will be happy to know about that.**

 **Please Review. Thank You.**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Back to School.

Hiccup's POV

" No." I say sternly to my dad's plan.

" This is for your own good." He says.

" No. I don't want the bodyguard following me through school. Especially today." I tell him as I look out the car door to see the policeman standing there.

Today is my first day back at school. Just only last week the doctor cleared me to go back after recover for two months. As much as I am not a big fan of school, being stuck in this house has driven me to the breaking point of insanity.

Just when I thought I could have a bit of normalcy again, guess again when my dad insists on the police protect that is station outside our home follow me through the school like a puppy dog.

" I don't want Dagny to hurt you again." He argues back.

" She's not even going to be in school. She's under house arrest." I point out the obvious.

" Her friends could hurt you." He argues.

" You think they follow her willingly?" I argue. " They're only friends because she was a bully to everyone else."

We both glare at each other in our iconic stare down to see who relents. This has been going on since I could remember.

Finally my dad says, " We're running late as is. Compromise. No bodyguard following you around, but he is stationed right outside the school."

I look at him and tell him, " Deal."

" Alright." He sighs. " Are you sure you want to go back in there?"

I look out towards the school and breath a sigh of hesitation.

" Not really." I tell him. " But I got to do it sooner or later, and I don't know if I can last another eternity in the house. I'll be fine."

" Very well." He says reluctantly.

I slowly open the car door and stand myself on the crutches before I hobble towards the school.

" Have a good day!" My dad bellows. I don't respond. Mostly because of my anxiety of being back. Especially now that I'm coming in as a male for the first time since the disastrous homecoming dance.

Though I have to say, I feel more comfortable than I ever was each time I walked through those doors. I'm dressed in jeans with a black t-shirt that is more meant for a male figure and my sweater. The beanie is over my short hair and I'm wearing contacts instead of glasses.

Everyone who usually was noisy suddenly stops as they look up at me.

" Dude. Is that the trans who got Dagny arrested?" A guy says.

My heart starts pacing as I hear more comments about me.

" No doubt. Bitch messed up his leg." His friend says.

" She always was an ugly girl." A girl snickers with her friends.

I look up and I nearly trip on my crutches when I see Ruffnut. Who is wearing a frown on her face. Oh great. She must hate me now.

" Oh." I see uncomfortably. " Hey Ruffnut."

" So you turned to the dark side of malehood." She says.

" Well. I always been male. I just haven't told anyone. I still support feminism if that's what you're concerned." I tell her sheepishly.

" Well it's about time that we have a guy on our side!" She goes suddenly wild. " Ok. It maybe through unconventional methods, but this is the stepping stone to our equality!"

" You realize there is already males who are feminists out there. Right?" I tell her.

" Well not in Berk. It isn't! It's always the same with everyone." Ruffnut says before she turns to a an accent you usually hear in Berk actually. " Wife! Get me a drink or clean up this mess. Or you take care of the kids! Then there's girl! Look after your brother." Before she scoffs, "Makes me want to vomit and feed it to my brother."

" Please don't do that." I tell her feeling grossed out about the idea.

" Hiccup!" I hear a beautiful voice. I look up to see Astrid running towards me.

" Hey!" She smiles. " I didn't know you were going to be back here so soon."

" Neither did I." I tell her as I look around to see people more staring at me and making more comments behind my back.

" Hey." Astrid says and it gets my attention. " Don't let them get to you. What matters is that you're ok."

I take a breath and say, " Right."

" Come on." She gestures. " Let's go to class."

I nod and was about to follow her towards my first class of the day when I suddenly realize it's art.

Mr. Kieser. I forgot about him. I really don't want to see him today. It's not that I don't like him as a teacher. In fact, he's the one that actually knows me compare to the rest of my teachers besides Gobber. I just don't want to see him today.

Astrid turns around and says in concern, " Hiccup. Are you alright?"

" Yeah. Um… I'm... I'm fine." I tell her.

She comes up to me and says, " Let's ditch."

" Ditch?" I say in surprise. " Um… Don't we get into trouble."

" It's just to the Cafeteria. I think Mr. Kieser would understand just this once." She says.

As much as I don't want to do something like this, I can't help but nod and follow Astrid to the Cafeteria instead.

Once we settle at a table in the place, I breath a sigh of relief. I feel a heavy weight in my chest disappear. For now.

" So. How's your dad so far?" She asks.

" Fine." I tell hear. " He's still trying."

" Your leg?" She asks.

" Hurts." I respond as I feel my painful leg.

" Well. How are you? And I don't mean physically. I really want to knows what's going with you." She says.

I scoff. " I feel like I'm all over the place. I hate the trial that's coming up. I hate people looking at me like some science experiment. I'm still trying to register the fact that I won't be able walk the same again. I don't know how I feel."

" It's alright." She says.

" No. It's not. Because it's like living a new life that's stuck in a previous setting. I'm going crazy."

" Well if it's any consolation, I just pissed off my mom majorly." She says.

I immediately feel concern for her, " What happened?"

" I want go into the Marines Corps after high school. She didn't like the idea of it at all." She says.

I can understand her reasoning for wanting to join the marines. She's a fighter and wants to travel the world. A career in the marines makes perfect sense for her.

" Why?" I ask her.

" She wants me to go to Harvard or Princeton. She told me I should pursue less dangerous like professions. It's been driving me crazy." She scoffs.

I decide whether or not I should say how I feel to her. Maybe she might hate me for what I could say, but lying's never worked out for me.

I finally say, " Before the attack and coming clean to my dad, I would've completely agreed with you. But since coming out as transgender, I understand more about what my dad goes through." I start and Astrid raises an eyebrow, " It's not like I don't support you. I do, but maybe you should understand things from her point of view. The marines involve a dangerous line of work, she might be worried about the idea of losing you more than not letting do what you want with your life. Because she loves you and wants what's best for you."

Astrid's hard expression softens and she looks down. She finally quietly says, " Gods. I never thought about that. I always thought of her trying to control every aspect of my life. My dad just simply agrees with her. She's just so stubborn, it's annoying" She looks up at me.

" If you think about it, you're stubborn too. You might've inherited that from her" I tell.

She grins mischievously before she punches me in the arm hard.

" Ow!" I yelp. " What was that for?!"

" For contradicting me." She says before she does something unexpected and kisses me on the cheek. I blush like crazy in response. I can't believe she did that.

" That's for saying those other things as well." She softly says.

" Um…." I try to say recovering from the kiss. " Thanks."

" Where did you get so wise?" She asks me

" Being stuck in a house for six weeks." I say before we both crack up in response when the bell rings at the end of the first period.

" Oh." Astrid notices the time. " I have to go. I would stay but, I have a test in English today. How about we see each other at lunch?" She suggests.

" Uh… sure." I tell her.

" Alright then. See you. You're amazing!" She says as she dashes off to her class.

I let out a breath and say to myself the only thing that is on my mind, " Wow."

* * *

 **Hello. Sorry about lateness. Been busy. I should be done with my major projects in a few weeks. It won't be long hopefully that I'm off for summer and I will be able to finish this story before going back to school. This will most likely be the longest story I have written yet. Once I finish, I can be able to have time for my other stories on fanfiction. Including The Messenger story.**

 **Please Review and See you all next chapter.**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Who she is.

Hiccup's POV

The rest of the morning was _interesting_ more or less. It wasn't like I was being harassed, but I felt very much under a spotlight. Many of my classmates would stare and continue to talk about me behind my back. Even from my teachers. Though not as bad. They give a sympathetic glance and all of them so far made me stay after the period to make sure I was alright. Despite it being annoying, I didn't want to be rude about it and told them that yes I will be fine. Even though it wasn't fully the truth.

I honestly don't know how I feel. While things have been getting better for me, I still feel at fault for the attack. Especially once I saw the video of my attack.

The video brought most, if not everything, back to memory. I now know why the prosecutor wants me to press the hate crime statute on to the current assault charges and frankly, I don't want to talk about it. Especially since it made me feel horrible about myself.

I knew the attack felt like forever, or at least hours. I didn't think though that it would last though for only twenty minutes. Just twenty minutes put me in the hospital with damaging injuries.

I hobbled on my crutches until I reach the cafeteria for my lunch hour and see Astrid at a table with Ruffnut. Along with her brother and Snotlout.

"What are they doing here?" I mumbled. Not wanting to be near them. Especially since I attacked my cousin in gym a few months since back.

I contemplate moving to another table, but it seems that my arms are doing the thinking for me as they work my crutches towards the table.

"Hey Hiccup." Astrid says as makes room for me to sit down.

"Is this same cousin that we shoved into that mud pit five years ago?" Tuffnut whispers to Snotlout before receiving a punch from his twin. "Ow! What did I say?"

"Plenty." Ruffnut says.

"Are you sure it's ok that I'm here?" I asked Astrid while the twins argued.

"You're fine. Worst comes to worst, we can move." She says before I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see Snotlout.

"Oh…. Hey….." I greet awkwardly. Not knowing what to say.

"Look. You don't need to be nice to me. I kinda want to….. What I am trying to say….." He try's to say and I know where it's going.

"It's ok." I tell him. "Neither of us are the best at cousin relationships. I'm sorry for beating you up months back."

"I deserved it." He says scratching the back of his head. "Especially since I ended up needing Fishlegs to help me scrape by a class I was failing."

"When did this happened?" I asked out of surprise. I didn't think he would seek help for academics.

"When you were put in the hospital." He says. "Dagny attacking you made me think twice about what kind of person I wanted to be."

"Snotlout. You may have a problem with your words, but you would never be on the same level as her." I tell him.

"Are you still going through with the trial?" He asks.

"Snotlout." Astrid says in a warning tone.

"I can't really talk too much about my case, but yeah. I'm still pressing charges against her." I tell him.

"Good." He says. "Cause that bitch deserves to be in jail."

"Yeah." I say numbly. Not really wanting to talk about this. "I need to head to library." I say standing up on my crutches from the table. "It was nice talking to you."

I hobble away. But I hear footsteps catching up to me.

"Hiccup? Are you alright?" Astrid asks

"I'm fine." I say.

"No you're not." Astrid says frowning. "You seemed really uncomfortable when it came to him bringing up the trial."

"What does it matter? I'm pressing charges against the person that hurt me. Nothing to it."

"How do you really feel?" Astrid demands. "Do you really want to do this?"

"I know I should. My father wants me to. The prosecutor wants me to. And it's not like I want Dagny to get away with this. But…." I stuttered.

"But what?" Astrid asks.

"I don't want to press charges because I'm transgender. The prosecutor told me that our best chance at a conviction is if we established Dagny as motivated to attack people of LGBT. She attacked me. She may have permanently damaged my leg, but she didn't attack me because of that. And I don't want her to spend a quarter of her life in jail because of a lie."

"She attacked you though." Astrid says. "Dagny has a gotten away with everything for too long. Now there's an opportunity for her to get what she deserves and you feel wrong about it because of the possibility of what people will think of her. Are you serious?

"Yes." I say. "My whole life has been about what people think of me. Whether I was an ugly girl or socially awkward. Or going through a phase. For so long, I wanted to be seen as me. Not just as a guy, but me. The idea of making a lie out of Dagny just to make my life easier, it's unbearable. Dagny's a monster. But I don't want to stoop to her level just because as the victim that I'm entitled to. I want them to see Dagny for attacking me. This isn't about LGBT. It was about her getting even with me."

"Ok. Then don't." Astrid says. I look up in shock and confusion of her response. "Don't lie. If you feel that the world needs to know to Dagny for what she truly is, then show them who she truly is."

"Even if it risks losing this trial?" I ask her.

"Even if she gets off free, at least everyone will know her exactly for who she is. You are making this your fight and that's what I love about you." She says before we both blush in response to what she just said.

But then a thought enters my head. How am I going to explain throwing away the strongest case to my overprotective dad?

* * *

Stoick's POV

Even though school doesn't let out until 3:30, I arrived a half hour early. I don't want to risk being late. Not since the attack.

The school finally lets out and I see my kid hobble out of the school. I get out of the car and help into the front seat.

"Thanks." He mumbles.

"So how was school?" I ask.

"Strange. Different, but Astrid being there kind of help me sort things out." He says. "I saw Simon today. He actually apologized."

"Did he now?" I said in surprise. He usually doesn't apologize for anything. I know this given the fact I teach his Olympic class. Boy doesn't know when he crosses a line.

"Dad?" He gets my attention and turns to look at me.

"What is it?" He asks.

"Don't be mad, but I decided not to press the hate crime on Dagny. I rather that she goes to jail for attacking me rather than attacking a community." He confesses.

I was hoping he didn't say that.

"You do realize that the hate crime is the strongest case according to Tanner." I tell him in a barely calm manner.

"I know." He says. "But that's not how I want to handle the trial. I want her prosecuted for attacking me, but I don't want to make her out as homophobic. I'm sorry, but I won't do it."

I don't say anything as I start the car and pull away from the school. Now more scared for my son. Especially if Dagny gets away with it.

* * *

 **I'm BACK! Super sorry for leaving you all like this for over six months. I had a lot of issues dealinog with depression happening in that time and decided to take a break from writing this fanfic in the meantime to get things to be manageable. Now I'm at a better time and ready to knock this story out of the way. I hope you can forgive me.**

 **The trial chapter is coming up and let me tell you there is going to quite some drama if there hasn't already been enough.**

 **Please Review and see you soon. Once again I am so sorry for leaving you like this.**


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